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If Caesar had been shown all that he was shown at once, he wouldn't have believed it. Perhaps the gradual revelation of this was necessary to allow his brain to process the things he had been made witness to, starting with something that was familiar. A business deal, crime, cover-up. The corruption of those sworn to protect; he had seen a lot of that in his lifetime. The murder of innocents that tore so many more apart. He saw his daughter's corpse upon a table and weeks later, saw her fighting a monster that belonged in a sci-fi film. And the dreams... related or not, he had been dreaming very strange things lately, of darkness and rain and blood; lightning illuminating steel that struck down inhuman foes as celestial beings watched. Maybe they even placed bets.

Had he not been eased into this, if any of those things could be considered "eased", he would have thought himself mad right now. Or dreaming. Perhaps to wake, he would have eaten a barrel of high-velocity buckshot. That would have been counterproductive to finding answers. But did Caesar really want answers right now? Maybe. Definitely, he wanted solutions.

The insurance guy was speaking nervously, using humor and pop culture references to ease his unease. Annoying, but understandable. The bodybuilder chica was being rude. Not helpful, but it hardly affected him. Yet. Superstar couldn't stop talking. Also nervous. Also understandable. Also annoying, and where did she get off staring at him for saying his own name? Oh, take out a leg and she'd make a fine decoy if he needed one to cover an escape. Fine decoy indeed.

With a great sigh on behalf of his companions, Caesar took a quick look around, finally asking a question, "Kyra? Kyra, por favor, is there anywhere we can go that isn't in the open? It is exposed here. I can tell you my story later." His words were still raspy, but polite, for the most part, end even.

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DttS In-Between: Josephine had only gotten her bearings in place when the others appeared. She was happy to see some of them, at least. ”Gene, darling! How nice to see you are ok. I am doing about as well as can be expected considering recent events. I don’t suppose you know where we are and what is going on?” She had a feeling she knew the answer to those questions, but hopefully someone knew.

With Mosi answering Nora for her, o tackled on her own response. ”Both Vera and Reddish vanished along with the ship and surrounding area. I take it the same thing happened to you all considering you are here now.” Jo looked over to the two she did not recognize, sizing them up. The man, a detective apparently, looked like one she supposed. He wasn’t all-together bad looking, she just had a feeling he was probably not her type though. As for the woman, she seemed mousey, but had a certain spunk about her. She was pretty none the less, how she was paired with the detective boggled her mind, but then again if she was his partner, it meant she did something right.

”A pleasure to meet you both. I am Josephine Clark, though I am sure you knew that already.” She gave them a Hollywood smile, hoping they had at least heard her name before. It had been a while since someone recognized her for her work.

DttS In-Between: Faye felt a bit stumbled when Richard introduced her as his partner. She felt a surge of emotion she hadn’t felt for the man. It meant she had won favor with him. Given that recent events were very much of the supernatural variety, she was sure she earned some respect in his books now. ”What my partner meant to say is, yes. We experienced it too. Haze along with a weird smell. Soon, everything began to vanish along with the old man who was with us. And now we are here.”

Faye looked over to the skeletal figure again, just to check if she was right. ”I believe it is meant to be a warning or a greeting. Hard to tell which is which, but I can almost guarantee we are not in Hell. Or not the Hell the good Bible describes, at least.”

Lastly, she looked over to the two women who she had not met yet. She had that familiar feeling about the blonde, the other one she did not know at all. But as soon as her name was given, Faye knew who she was. ”My goodness, you are Jo Darling right? Never would I have imagined meeting a movie star here of all places. What are you doing here?” Might have been a bit rude, but she was surprised. She wondered if Richard knew who Josephine was. She doubted it. He didn’t seem like the type to take in a good movie.

Evellina's Cave: Faith listened to Evelina, she owed the woman that much, but she could feel tense in her gut. Eve might have felt it was in their best interests to leave them, but given all that has occurred, was it? ”It is abandonment to leave your children in the care of anyone, family or no, who has no idea how to care for them. It has been so long since I last saw you. Gio and Gil did not know how to handle things. We needed you and still do. That is why I came. I was told I’m the only one who could.”

Faith’s heart swelled upon hearing Eve missed her too. It was true what she said, she felt more at home amongst the Paradoxes than she ever did back during her own time. ”No, I came alone. As I said, I was the only one, according to Siduri and Parliament, who could make the trip due to my ability. I do not know where the others are, but they are capable. We have grown a lot in that time. We kind of had to given all that has happened. With reality slipping away everywhere, we were meant to go help.”

Faith glanced around again. It made no sense and it made perfect sense where they were. That’s a paradox in and of itself. ”So we are in an in-between sort of place then? I suppose that makes the most sense then. So, I’m here now to help you. What do we do?”

There, between two trees spaced so far apart or perhaps not, stood the five of them that had come through the portal which Gio had created. Now that portal was gone and they were on the path. Gilbert, moving to check and see what differences between the two choices down the roads might be see no differences. As if they are carbon copies of each other. There is no rise or fall of the land to make one think they are the same ones. Just twins of each other perhaps? Or mirror images? Not one in the same but still appearing as such. Yet, the pull of the Emendators Gilbert feels is both in the same direction, to the left (for simplicity of direction since one cannot know which way is north right now). Sophia, trying to hear or smell, to sense some difference is able to note a smell depending on which direction she faces. To the right is smells far more pure and clean while when facing the right it is more tainted and rotting. It is hard for her to make out as either isn't strong, even with her senses, but she can smell the difference if only just barely.

Now, while the road and such appear empty save for the few items of note and the group, they are not alone. Just off the road, in the fields there. There is a slight haze that builds up just at the edge of the road, a shimmering. It seems there is something moving in the haze, but one cannot be sure what it is as first. Like trying to see something coming towards you in the middle of a thick fog. Slowly it comes more into focus. A figure, a person perhaps? Coming through a portal? No, it doesn't seem like that but as the figure reaches the edge of the road and steps barefooted onto the road itself, the haze fades and the figure becomes clear. A shorter woman, dressed in a simple faded gray gown, belted at the waist. Olive skin and dark hair fall to her shoulders. Her eyes are hidden behind a strip of cloth that wraps around her head. In one hand she carried a set of scales, in the other a scythe that she leans against just slightly.

"You must choose." Her voice was ethereal as she spoke. Pointing her scythe to the right. "Peace." Resting the scythe's end back against the ground she gestured to the left with the scales. "Or Punishment." Her head stayed facing just center as she brought the scales back towards her. "Choose."


Like others, this group was far from being completely alone. There was that wonderful skeleton statue of sorts that was just standing there as perhaps a warning, or just a wonderful decoration. One couldn't tell. Though as the group conversed among itself, there was a slight chuckle. Did the statue just laugh at them? "You be long way from Zerzura sweet child." The voice was thick and deep, and held an distinct accent, that of the Caribbean. The voice came from the statue, didn't it? It sure sounded like it. "Hell, Heaven, a playground." Though, after a moment, it was clear that the voice wasn't coming from the statue of bones but behind it as a puff of smoke trailed up and a hand came to rest on the skeletons shoulder. Slowly emerging a man gave a grin towards the group. He held a cigar in his hand, a top hat on his head, and a snake slithering over his shoulders.

"Gods grant mercy? Gods know no such thing." His grin remained on his painted face as he took a puff from his cigar and ducked under the arm of the skeleton. "I prefer the term bordello, tis more poetic." Righting himself in front of the skeleton he used a tall staff decorated flamboyantly to stand with. "Creeps? Fear is good. Let's you know you're alive." He chuckled as he jumped down from the rocks and bones. "And you are alive." Taking a few steps forward he kept chuckling and ran a thick tongue along his bottom lip. "Which means you are not supposed to be here," he said shaking his head slowly. "Unless of course, you wish to make a trade." There was a mischievous twinkle in the dark mans oddly bright eyes as he spread his arms and bowed slightly.

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Evelina rested her hand against the side of the cave and glanced towards Faith. "Then get a therapist and deal with your abandonment issues." Sighing she shook her head turned her attention back to the outside of the cave. "They knew as much as I. Save for a feeling I needed to help one like you. So I left. They are as much your family as I am. A mother should not feel guilty for letting family take care of her kids. Nor I for leaving you with other Emendators. So I don't. Family is family." She didn't. She did at one point. She questioned so much. What if she had done this or that. What if she had stayed to talk, what if she hadn't. After so long alone she had figured out one thing. Worrying about yesterday didn't change it. Worrying about tomorrow didn't stop it from coming. Here, now, the basics, that was all that mattered. At least to her anymore.

"I stopped a death, it was worth it." How she had she still was not sure but she stopped trying to figure it out a long time ago. A walk in the rain, she had found one. A choice was given, neither option was taken. It was the last time she had rolled her dice, or at least the last time she had felt the pull to do so.

The brow over her left eye shot up high as Faith mentioned Siduri. "So she has come out of hiding? Figures," she said, sounding a little vexed. "I was beginning to believe she had left sometime ago." Shaking her head a bit she looked back out of the cave once again. "Alone you may have been but they are here now but so far away."

Turning she walked back into the cave and sat down. "You dry, we wait until it will be safer to travel. We have a ferry to catch, I am not swimming the waters." Pulling out her dagger she stoked the fire some with the tip of the blade. "And hope he is feeling generous or you have something in that bag of yours he will take as payment."

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Kyra tilted her head to the side slightly as Robert spoke, a brow raising in the slightest before glancing around the area. She didn't answer him at first as she surveyed the land. It wasn't until she looked back at him that she spoke. "Walk elsewhere then." Her solution, don't like where you are; walk to where you are not. Nothing was stopping him from leaving, at least not physically, from what she could tell. There was a motion from her hand and a nod to Mali's words. She agreed with her, the woman's bluntness reminded her of her a very long time ago. More words were spoken, questions.

Kyra's eyes closed slowly and she let out a slow breath as if she was annoyed. "Newydd-ddyfodiaid," she muttered under her breath. "Yes." A simple enough answer to food and water. There was. To Riley's question she nodded. "Blights, Soul-Eaters. Around, somewhere." She looked towards Ash, who lifted his head and sniffed the air before resting his head back down. "Not here."

Ash seemed to whimper and she nodded as she blew out another breath, hard and through her lips this time. "Follow me." She sounded like a mother at the end of a long day. Turning she started walking, no particular direction it seemed, just placing one foot in front of the other from where she stood. "Story doesn't interest me." Ash stretched slightly before trotting up next to Kyra, his tail down as he walked. Kyra's hand coming out and resting on his back that stood higher than her waist. Chances were she could ride the wolf if she needed to. "There," she pointed far off in the distance where the rocks seemed to jut out of the ground. It would take sometime to get there.

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PE Fade Between:

There was something comforting about Sophia's reference to the Wizard of Oz. There were so many things about their timelines that were different, especially since the majority of the Paradoxes had come from a nightmarish world that sounded so much like it came out of a comic book about the zombie apocalypse. Andromeda couldn't relate to zombies - but her world had had stories about the yellow brick road too, so there was a comforting commonality there. Her eyes continued to scan the horizon, feeling a slight wind brushing up against her face. Hopefully this place wasn't in the midst of nuclear winter or anything like that. If there was anything hiding amongst the leaves of the trees, they were expertly concealed. Something did catch her attention though - a sign of life! She squinted her eyes, putting her hand perpendicular to her forehead in an attempt to see better. "Birds - that's a good sign," she said, partially to reassure herself but also to alert the others to what she could see.

For once, Gilbert actually had some decent advice - they shouldn't just pause in the middle of the road here. His thought that they could be in an extremely small piece of reality reminded her a lot of the show Doctor Who, but she couldn't discredit his notion. There were far more amazing and seemingly improbable things in the universe than she had ever dreamt of - it was discovering them that got her blood pumping. What was to say they hadn't ended up on some narrow strip of existence? Maybe this was all that remained after the timelines all collided and collapse - just a road in the middle of nowhere in particular. Her eyes darted towards the side of the road as a shimmering haze appeared there - had the haze reestablished itself in a new form this time? Was this piece of reality about to collapse?

Something was coming towards them and deep down, she privately hoped that it was James. Instead, a figure emerged, slowly coming into focus and detail, and instantly she was reminded of Lady Justice. The individual was blind folded, holding scales and a scythe. Her words only helped to cement the impression. Her heart was beating quickly and her mind had already come up with an answer for what her choice would be. If she had more time to analyze her thought processes, she probably would have been a little bit horrified at her own answer.

And sure, she could have waited for the others to give their own thoughts first but her intuition was telling her not to hesitate here. "Are you Justice?" Andromeda asked quickly, not able to hold back her curiosity, before her eyes flickered to the left. "... I think punishment," she said. "If we're going to figure out what's going on and save the multiverse... I don't think peace is an option for us."

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DTTS Fade Between:

Nancy rolled her eyes slightly as Lauren advised not following the skeleton - some people were so easily repulsed by the macabre. The young (appearing) Emendator had lived through too much to really be horrified with the creepy and bizarre, even finding a certain element of delight in those woeful tales and sights. Of course, the skeleton also proved to be the key in her recollection as to just where they were. It was one of her regrets in life that she hadn't lived in Greece when it was truly at its peak - she had been living in the once Greek colony of Callatis at the time, seeing its transformation into a portion of the Roman Empire when Lucullus conquered it. One of her fellow Emendators, Evelina, had lived in Greece proper for ages. She would have known all about this place, but fortunately Nancy had read about it even though she had not experienced that culture in its fullest. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Greek Underworld," Nancy announced. "Or as it would be called by those who believed in it - Erebus, a welcoming ground of sorts for the souls of the recently deceased."

There were more than two other Emendators somewhere here - she had to imagine that meant Evelina, Giouse, and Gilbert. Oh, she would have loved to see Drem here but she did not believe it would be so. His fate had been sealed a long time ago. "It bears a striking resemblance to the Garden State," she grinned a bit, glancing at Richard. He and Faye were both on her list of people she did not have an urge to strangle. Josephine was on that list as well. Her gut was telling her that the only way to deal with this situation was to just go on through. They would need to make some sort of trade with this man to be able to continue onwards. She wasn't going to trade away her Cards, but there was something else on her that she kept that was of value.

Taking off her pendant, she held it out to the man - it had an Eihwaz Rune. It seemed fitting here anyways, as the rune symbolized life and death, Yggdrasil, and the yew tree. "How's this for a trade?" Nancy asked. "It's genuine - Loki's own pendant."

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If the situation wasn't weird enough, it seems people hadn't ended appearing quiet yet become more showed up. A familiar face at least and some others. She smiled at Mahendra as he called out to them and expressed his joy at seeing them again." Same to you, friend. Though admittedly, it would have been best if we could have met under better scenic and normal circumstances. Glad to see you still live." She replied to him in return, glad to also see him. Now her mind was just wondering what had transpired with that bastard Redding and Vera. Why weren't they here? Will they appear here if they wait long enough or have they appeared way before them somehow? What exactly was happening here?

Then the other man spoke out and introduced himself." Nice to meet you too, Detective, Miss. Priscilla Harker at your service. Do call me Mosi though. It's what I go by and prefer to be called." She replied in a greeted and tipped her own hat as well. It seemed the group had quickly grown up to a decently great number. That said, the brief information the others gave her made her frown. Exactly how wide was that haze back then? If her initial suspicion, about someone trying to breach through the veil of the world of the dead, was true, then what kind of power could cause an effect this wide? Occultism was a wide and very complex field of knowledge and she decided that she probably should have spend even more time on studying it. She though to the additional explanation that the people gave her to answer her question. Well this mystery just increased.

Suddenly a voice spoke out to them. One that was not from the group. Seemed to be coming from the statue. Mosi's eyes narrowed as she turned to face it. Sure enough a man appeared in view. He seemed rather comfortable and by the way he spoke, seemed he was either here a while and used to it or maybe was from here to begin with? Though where was this? The answer to her question was revealed not much later. Her expression froze." Well damn..." She swore under her breath. The Greek Underworld!? WHY!? Why did they end up in the Greek Underworld?" So one way or another I did end in the land of the dead. Figures. I knew it, surviving the bees and a bullet was too easy." She sighed, thinking about their situation. So they were supposedly alive and in the land of the dead? She frowned, this was probably unusual to say the least. Could them appearing here be a side effect of whatever was causing that haze?

As the talk went to trading and so on, Mosi's racked her brain hard, trying to recall anything of use she could about the situation. Any knowledge that would prove some benefits or insights. Suddenly as she looked at the man's face, she recalled something. Baron Samedi and maybe Papa Legba, these were two personas from occult history that resembled the visage in front of them. If what was said just earlier about this being the Greek Underworld, what would this exotic looking man be doing here though? If this one was tied to Baron Samedi however, it would be good. That one lore mentioned could heal and was bringer of life if he wanted.

One of the women proposed a pendant and by the sound of it, sounded a little too fancy to be real. This was just weird, where did she find it? Mosi's thoughts ran throug her current possessions and what was on herself." What would it take to do a good trade? I have very little with me on myself and most of that are either mundane things with little real value or simply sentimental ones." She asked of him, deciding to directly see what he would request for a trade. That was the best way to judge it. She didn't have fancy items as the other woman, only stuff of little or of personal value. The only thing that had most proper value would be the silver medallion, but even that wasn't anything too special or costly.

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Brat frowned at Gilbert's remark, the idea of this place being some kind of metaphor not quite sitting right with him. After all, metaphors necessarily had intent surrounding them, somebody would have had to set them up. If that were the case, it meant that they were expected to be here, and that there was some force that must've been a lot more in control of the situation than they were. Perhaps this related back to the forces of Light and Darkness Siduri spoke of, after all, if it really was the end of the world, this would be when such things would more blatantly reveal themselves. In any case, his initial idea was all but confirmed to him when the figure ahead appeared.

Looking upon the woman who'd revealed herself, Bart nodded. This person must've been expecting them, or at least somebody. However, she didn't immediately pose a threat, which was nice, but the scythe she was wielding gave him pause. In the choice between peace, which, thinking metaphorically, probably meant death, and punishment, which he assumed meant continuing on this ceaseless path of loss and devastation, he could only pick the latter. They'd gone too far to give up now, and hey, he was sure death was still on the table if they picked punishment. "I'd have to agree with Andromeda here, punishment seems like the only actual way forward." He remarked, not taking his eyes off the scythe she was wielding.

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DTB Fade Between

Robert hadn't necesarrily liked Mali from the first time he met her. Hell, he had barely exchanged a word with her during her and Zoie's little visit to Adelaide's bookstore, or when they met again in Grimm. But her telling him to shut up wasn't helping in her cause, if she wanted to be liked. Not that he thought she was trying, but still. Robert gave her a brief glare, not having time to add anything to the conversation or telling her to go fuck herself, but the glare would have said enough. Clearly Kyra too had to be rude about it, telling him to walk anywhere else. Jesus, what was her fantasy-day dreaming problem?

In the very least, Robert decided to throw in a "Robert." while pointing at himself as well. Kyra, that was her name? Well he had heard funnier name before, but the rest of her and the big wolf spoke volumes that this was not normal. Robert fought off the urge to be sarcastic and tell Riley that the big wolf-lady probably didn't care, instead letting the others talk. Clearly they thought they knew better than him, so why bother? At least Caesar thought that Robert's line of thinking was good enough to ask himself as well; Could they go anywhere else?

Kyra told them to follow her, before she and the wolf walked off. Somewhere in the distance, she pointed to some rocks that stuck out of the ground. Why were they going over there? Was that the safe place they had asked for? Robert seriously had no idea, he liked only a minority of their little group now. Guess who? Robert looked for a moment at the others, before following Kyra. "So…big wolf."

DttS Fade Between

Mahendra looked over to Lauren and gave her a nod of approval, his eyes every once in a while going over their surroundings as if he slowly would begin to understand where they were from his last failure. "Indeed, Lauren, this place is not for mortals to thread without fright." Mahendra replied to her, breathing in slowly and deep like the wise men of his home did to remain calm. If there was a situation being calm was called for, this one probably was.

Richard didn't like the sound of what the other two women were telling them about more companions that vanished into thin air. Vera and Reddish were names that didn't ring any bells to him, and while he wasn't emotionally invested in any way to them, even a cold and lousy detective as him could understand. Not just how it must have been to lose them, but to witness them vanish before your very own eyes? It went against all the known laws of nature that a city-dweller such as Richard knew of. Richard looked over at Faye for a moment as she stated they probably weren't in Hell. "That's something at least. The big Mr. S down below probably won't like me down here either." Richard said flatly, puffing his cigarette as the blond bomb-shell of a woman introduced herself. "Don't think so, should I?"

So they weren't in Hell, at least not in the Christian equvalent of it, but the Greek one? Mahendra looked at Gene, or Nancy as she apparently went by now with a look of surprise. He had not learned much about the Greek world, but if they now knew where they were, possibly they could find a way out? It was progress nonetheless. Progress that dwarfed in comparison to the entrance of the new man; appearing from behind the skeleton, Mahendra watched the man make his elaborate and dramatic entrance. The man was strange, excotic but strange, speaking in theatrical phrases as he approached the Fellowship. Mahendra would have opened his mouth and asked of the trade as well, had it not been for Nancy and Mosi already questioning him.

More dire to his situation, however, was what the man carried on his shoulders. A snake. "Na…na…naga…" Mahendra stuttered through his shaking mouth, his once calm and controlled breath now changing into rapid gasps of air. Snakes. He hated snakes, he feared them. Mahendra nearly threw himself behind the protective back of Mosi, for the first time in his life cowering in fear for the thing around the man's neck. It all reminded him of when he first met George, that deadly stare from his eyes now reflected in the snake's eyes. The eyes. The EYES!

The detective took the appearance of the Caribbean man with a knock-off Austin Lane Crothers' look and a big snake around his neck. No longer were the mention of movie stars or Garden State in Richard's mind. Instead he focused in on the man, sizing him up and down as he kept Faye behind him. He didn't catch onto most of what he said, them being alive in a dead place or whatever. What caught Richard's attention was the mention of a trade. A trade, for what? A way out? "Now that would be one Hell of a lottery to win." Richard said out to no one in particular, listening to the offers made by Gene/Nancy and the woman named Mosi. A pendant?

Richard scoffed quietly, smoke coming out of his nose as he did. Looking at the man and ignoring Mahendra freaking out in the back, Richard tried to read him like any good detective could. Something…something was off, not quite right with him. Something dark. Richard took his cigarette and flicked some ash of it, not breaking eye-contact with the man as he spoke "I don't think Mr. Creep here is wanting you to pawn in your jewelry, doll. No, you want something else from us. Something that stinks." Richard informed the group, placing the cigarette back in his mouth as he straightened himself up and caressed the club in his hand. "You know, I think we'd be better off if we lay our cards on the table. What do you want from us, dago? You want us to send some to the Big Sleep? Get something for you? Come on, pal, spill the beans. We don't want to play 20 Questions all day."

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Decision made and moved toward. Period. End story. This was what was happening, and Gil was leading the way. For what seemed like only once in their recent careers as Emendators and Paradoxes did they set in the same direction with goal in mind. They were moving as one. So naturally, something had to present itself to fix that. Far be it for Gilbert to shake off or ignore the physical manifestation of one of mankind's primal concepts, despite his determined trudge in the direction of one of the trees nor his desire to get something accomplished in a gigantic sea of sidetracking nonsense. So casually Gilbert stopped, tipped his cap to the scales lady, and smiled in greeting.

The choice she gave to them all, Peace or Punishment, seemed a little moot for him. He was already headed in the direction he wanted to go, anyway, choice or not. The theatrics meant nothing to him. However, Gilbert could not fault the lady on style and presentation. It counted for a lot. He was pleased that the Paradoxes saw fit to choose Punishment. He had the vaguest of guesses as to what Peace might be, but it didn't matter. The other Emendators were not there, so he did not seek to travel toward Peace.

"I am curious, why is this is our decision? But it matters not. If you are what I think you are, then you already know the truth of me; where I go, Peace does not follow. It cannot remain. As sweet and desirable as Peace is, it is ever temporary. This is the truth of Gilgamesh of Uruk as much as it is Gilbert Summers.

He shifted his hat on his head "Our Sisters are in the direction I was headed. Punishment. That answers my requirement. Whether they are being punished or doing the punishing - one, both, either or none, I continue in the direction I chose. Humbly and with respect to you, Lady."

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PE-Fade Between:

Sophia managed to pick up two smells, one that smelled to be something rotting and then the other smelling something that felt like it was pure, wondering why she had picked up those two scents. Though it was really hard to tell or get any more details from the two scents, she opened her eyes and turned to look over at the others. Before a figure appeared before all of them, she stumbled back slightly seeing that the woman was carrying a scythe and a set of scales in the other hand. Sophia looked at all of them for a moment, when the woman presented them with two choices.

Punishment or Peace, as Bart, Andromeda and Gilbert made their choice of punishment, now the scents she had picked up made more sense to her now, rotting most likely meant punishment, and the pure smell was for peace. Or maybe it was the other way around, but now it made some more sense to her now. Sophia had done a lot of things that she had regretted before becoming a Paradox, and she had killed a lot of people as well since the outbreak. "Since everyone is picking punishment i'll be choosing the same as well." Sophia said, she wasn't ready to go either really she was given a second chance at life as well after all.

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DTTS-Fade Between:

Lauren looked at the others it was good that the others were still here and alive and well to, though she wished that the others were all still here as well. They could have had a better chance with all of them still here as well, Lauren started to pace around in a circle a little bit, stuffing her hands into her pockets. She closed her eyes and sighed a little bit. She was still feeling pretty out of place as well she didn't know where to even go or even to get back home as well. Lauren then paused where she was turning to look at the skeleton that was there hearing a voice coming from it.

Lauren stared a the strange man that was there seeing him she wanted to find something to shoot the really creepy man, reminding her of someone from New Orleans or something like that. The guy seemed to know that they were all alive, as Lauren looked over at everyone within the group when he asked them for a trade. She bit her bottom lip Lauren didn't really have anything at all to trade either which was probably not a good thing either. Nancy seemed to have something that she could trade looking at the little necklace that she was giving out.

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DTB-Fade Between:

Riley looked towards Kyra when she answered her question about the creatures that they all had met before being suddenly transported there, she didn't like the idea that they were even here at all either. She sighed slightly and she highly doubted that there were any kind of explosives that would be of any use to them. Riley watched Kyra pointing over to the distance, looking over her shoulder for a moment. There wasn't anything else there at all that would give them any answers, sighing Riley started to follow shortly behind Kyra and the wolf named Ash.

Riley closed her eyes she wished that Cecily was around, she didn't know any of these people at all and she didn't even know if she could trust these people. The wolf lady seemed to be nice enough to allow them to follow her, she just hoped that there wouldn't be anything else that would end up jumping out at them. Or anymore of those giant smoke monsters either, Riley stuffed her hands into her pocket and continued to move forward.

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The local girl, if indeed anyone was "local" in this place, seemed ever so slightly put out at the prospect of conversing with the new arrivals. At least that's how it looked to Caesar. Not that he really blamed her, for him to want to converse with anyone who wasn't of use to him (or to whom he was personally close) when he didn't have to was tiresome more often than not. This Kyra, at a glance, seemed to have a distinct lack of fucks left in her fuck-quiver to fire at a quartet of people who appeared in this place with absolutely nothing of use to her. The decision to likewise not fire actual arrows was taken as the neutral half of good news. It worked well enough for him. She had the barest of information for them, they had nothing really useful for her aside from a break from the very busy day she must be having doing... whatever it was that one does in this place.

As for Caesar, what he wanted to do with this place was leave it. First things first, get out of the open and take stock of their resources. Maybe get a lay of the land. There was a way in, and thusly there must be a way out. It stood to reason, and besides that there had to be an overall goal to work toward, if only to keep the more nervous of their group from doing something foolish. Looking back at the people he was involuntarily traveling with, that could be any one of them. So much as someone would have to eventually step up and assert themselves if they wanted to keep the group together, that was not going to be him right now. He would have to have reason to or responsibility for, neither of which he had on him at present. Of course, there was the fact that none of them belonged here, wherever "here" was. And he did know two of them personally, if more of acquaintances than actual friends. And the guy who was with that research lady... fine. That would make them innocents affected by whatever the hell got him, too. That might change things, until one of them pissed him off. Ah, these ethical quandaries did tend to make one's head ache. For now, the person they were following was the wolf-lady. That was good enough for him right now.

Following along with Kyra, Caesar kept his eyes to the ground and shotgun at the ready. He wanted to get an idea of anything that might be native to this place, human, animal, whatever. Figuring that the wolf would likely show some manner of response if a threat was detected, he kept a good chunk of his attention studying the ground. Once, he said aloud with a soft, low voice, "Robert," his eyes glancing in his direction briefly as he moved along, "Your boss find out anything for me?"

Absently, Caesar reached into his vest and pulled out a large silver flask. He grunted in Kyra's direction and held it out to her, flatly intoning, "Tequila." Might as well make some sort of gesture. She was giving them help, after all.

Andromeda is trying to figure out what she can about the woman, thinking back on the occult. While the occult itself doesn't lend a grand amount of information, the history from which occult is built on can. Lady Justice, seen so many times on the steps of court houses was, from what Andromeda can recall quickly, based off Iustitia from the Romans. A Goddess of Justice. Though formally called a goddess with her own temple and cult shrine in Rome, it appears that she was from the onset viewed more as an artistic symbolic personification rather than as an actual deity with religious significance. Thing is, for each and every Roman Goddess there has to be an equal Goddess with the Greeks, doesn't there? That question was about to be answered.

The womans head turned, seeming to look at Andromeda even though she was blindfolded. "I am known by many names. Justice. Iustitia." Her voice even and calm, almost distant but as ethereal as it had been when she first spoke. "By others I was known as Dike Astraea, but even before that I was known by another name." She seemed to look towards Gilbert and then to Gio. "So very long ago I was known as The Dice." She let the words hang in the air as her head turned back towards Andromeda.

"Now, I am Judgement." There was a pause as she took a step forward, using the scythe almost like a cane. "Yet one cannot judge the living, and while you hover between life and death, it is not your time to be judged. So the choice is yours but heed my words. Peace and Punishment are two sides of the same coin. Paradise and Purgatory can be the same place if only viewed by two different souls." Another step, and another. Her wrist seemed to go limp and the blade of scythe landed in the ground below, cutting it as she walked. The world around them to the direction of so called peace hazed away until it was just a void. "Perhaps we will meet again." That was all she said as she stepped into the field on the other side and fluttered out of sight just as she had come into view.


Now there is truly nothing to get a read off of this man with what Nancy is using as far as skills go. But that isn't all bad because her own history is going to tell her plenty. This is no gatekeeper of Erebus. This is Minos, Rhadamanthus, or Aeacus. Not that she knows what they look like but this man, she will feel a kindred spirit with him even if that similarity between them spans more than just an ocean.

The man steps forward as Nancy held out the pendant to her. His eyes darting to the others that were speaking. "Don't you be disrespectin' me little man. Don't ya derogate, or deride! Yer in my world now, not yer world," he seemed to warn as he eyed the man and the woman. His thick Caribbean accent going darker. Shaking his head he chuckled a bit as he looked towards Nancy once again. "Children, what can ya do?" he asked her, as if it was a father knowing understanding the frustrations of a mother when she was at the end of her rope. "Besides pitch them to the abyss and see how long the scream lasts," he added with a wink before taking the pendant in the palm of his hand and running his fingers over it.

"Oh I imagine it is Bebe` and yes, it could make a very good trade, the question is, what are you wantin' fer it Mon Cher?" he asked Nancy as a toothy grin started to pull at one corner of his mouth. It slowly grew until he gave a full toothed chuckle. "The more you want from me the more I need. A pin fer an eye, a candy fer a tooth. A soul fer a prize," he said with a nod. "Sadly though, yours is not up for grabs but these others, perhaps could hold some value. Again, it all depends on what you want and if I can pull a rabbit from my hat. As it were."

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Sitting there staring at the fire, the tip of the blade being turned over slowly, Evelina seemed lost in thought. She wasn't thinking on what was happening, or the words that had been spoken. She was thinking on that last life. That last choice made. What had drawn her away in the first place. While Evelina had been stuck in what she was calling the In-Between for hundreds and hundreds of years, for Faith it had actually been less than a week since the last time she saw Evelina. Less time than Evelina had instructed them to just rest and think on the lessons. Evelina had not even been gone twenty-four hours when people had decided, against her instructions, to look for her. For the rest of those she left behind, it had only been two days. Things Evelina didn't know or there perhaps would have been a long speech about people listening. Though now that she felt what she felt, pulling at her, she knew it didn't matter. They all would have wound up here eventually.

Yet, one wasn't. More than one. Why was that? Still it was not something that Evelina was thinking on. She was thinking on that walk in the woods. When the rain came down. The woman who had drawn her there. The talk they had had. It had been a different experience for her than others she had dealt with in the past. This felt like the last time and like the first, woven together. She had to give the woman this, she made a hell of a choice. When given two choices she found a third. That was unexpected. What happened to her? Did she find what she was searching for? Evelina was not sure but she hoped she did. Just to know that perhaps for some there were more than two options changed everything. If it only changed the path of one, it was something new and different. Something she had not had in centuries. She didn't question the how's. Usually when those questions were answered it either took away from something or didn't change anything. Though, she would have to thank another eventually, if she ever saw her again, for the favor granted, if she was able.

Time passed and Evelina was still lost in thought, or at least it seemed that way. Until she finally blinked and looked over towards Faith, giving her a small smile before putting her knife away. "If you were given the choice, would you not have died? Continued living where you were?" she asked as she draped her arms over her knees. "Or would you have still chosen to be what you are? If there had been another way?" Whether or not the question had a purpose was up for debate but it seemed that Evelina was genuinely interested in whether or not Faith would have chosen to go back to a life of fighting Walkers or if she would have still chosen to be caught in-between life and death. And now, caught in-between life and death in a space she called the In-Between.

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Walking, it was what she did. From one place to another, but usually with no destination in mind. One place did not become another place until she reached it. Only then did she know that was where she was going and even then it wasn't the destination. There was no destination. There never was. At least there hadn't been in a very long time. She couldn't be bothered to think about just how long it had been. It really didn't matter. Kyra had learned a long time ago that most things, in the end, didn't matter. Yet right then she did have a destination, if only a temporary one, and only because they seemed to feel the need for cover. Sure she could have said something to counter their reasoning but why bother. People asked questions, and much of the time argued the answer because it wasn't what they wanted to hear.

Yet she kept a eye out and an ear on her surroundings. One would be foolish not to out there, granted one would be a fool to ever let their guard down. Turning her head slightly at Roberts mentioning of Ash. "Not really," she commented before looking back ahead. She didn't expand on it. The woman didn't seem to possess the gift of gab and if she did, she wasn't feeling like using it right then. Now while Ceasar might want to find out about the lands around him, tracking won't do that. Tracking if for following people or animals, it doesn't tell you about land or flora or fauna more than a person or this animal passed this way. Now, as far as anything being around or passing, no Caesar isn't seeing anything with his tracking. Either nothing had passed by recently or at least nothing that walked. There were no tracks to follow.

At the offering of the tequila, whatever that was, Kyra took the container and unscrewed the top of it. Bringing it to her nose she sniffed. Making a face she held it down to Ash, who in turn sniffed and drew back as well. "Smells like a tavern," she said. Taking the cap she screwed it back on. Turning it over to look at it before holding it back out. "Stay sharp." It was decent advice, probably rather obvious. The walking continued until they got closer to the cliff face. It didn't look like there was anywhere to go into, like a cave or anything. Walking over to the wall face of the cliff, Kyra turned and sat down with her back to the wall. "Best for three days." Ash jogged over to Kyra and sat down next to her panting slightly.

Robert glared at Mali, obviously not caring that she told him to shut up, but really she did not care in the slightest what he thought about her. Sure, he might be one of 4 possible people for her to interact with in this barren wasteland, but he had quickly put himself at the bottom of that short list and beyond that she had absolutely no reason to give the slightest thought for his opinion of her. If she had to choose between a pissy, quiet man and a jibbering content one, she'd choose the former every time.

Nuisances aside, at least Mali knew that there were things to eat and drink here. Not that she really knew how to cook, not beyond the basic level of getting food to the point of decent enough for yourself, but nothing you'd make for people you wanted to impress. She hadn't had much time to adjust to eating fancy meals, but she could already tell they would be missed. But being deprived of food she liked was nothing new to her. An existence of making do with a relatively bland list of available sources of sustenance had been her past several years before any of the conspiracy business had dumped itself on her front door. She could probably get by on whatever was available here without complaint.

Unfortunately that came with the knowledge that there were still more shadow beast things like the one that killed Zoie. But her hands were still glowing, so maybe that meant that she still had some power over them? Or something? Nobody seemed to want to bring up her luminescent appendages, so she wouldn't either.

Kyra pointed out a place to walk and left; Mali didn't have anything better to do, so she followed. Their impromptu guide didn't seem very keen on talking. Maybe she had lost the aptitude for conversation over the course of however long she'd been here if indeed the only other company she'd had was the wolf. Whatever the case, Mali decided to follow suit and not try striking up conversation she clearly wasn't interested in having. Instead she decided to focus her mental energy on the current group she found herself traveling with.

Riley was a pop star, which would usually indicate a lack of any useful skills, but she had grown up in that murder town, lived in Boston Heights and was here now. If her experiences were anything like Mali's she could probably be depended on more than appearances let on, but left her paranoid.

Caesar was old but was almost certainly the most dangerous person here, only stopped from being the most dangerous entity by the giant fuckoff wolf. However, age still took its toll, and he looked tired. Moreso than everyone else. Not to mention that here most of his non-skill based resources were null.

And Robert... he looked like a middle-aged guy. She had the least amount of information on him, but from what little she'd seen, she could only presume there wouldn't be too much to expect from him in a survival situation.

Kyra seemed slightly less clueless than the rest of them, but she seemed to have been here awhile and knew how to keep herself intact at the minimum. It would be wise to pay attention to what she chose to say and what she did. Other than that, if she were to stereotype based on her appearance and fantasy tropes from back home, she would guess she knew archery, (xeno)zoology, tracking and maybe a bit of nature magic, if such a thing existed. But, as they said assumptions made an ass out of you and me.

All in all, there could be far worse people for her to be stuck with, but also far better. It didn't help that she had no idea what anyone here wanted beyond the bare bones survival. Well, they were at a supposed resting place that being less out in the open would maybe make the others feel better about being stuck in purgatory. It wouldn't hurt to try taking charge of the situation a bit and try figuring out if perhaps there was some common thread between them all that got them stuck here.

"Alright, I don't know about you guys," Mali began, moving herself in the shade of the cliff, but not sitting like their otherworldly guests, "but I don't plan on just wandering around in the desert forever if I can help it. I don't know why I'm here right now, but maybe we have something in common. Right before we were dumped here, Robert and I were in Grimm for unrelated reasons but we happened to bump into each other shortly before now. There was a shitton of fog, and then this weird haze that wouldn't go away, a scary beyond all reason clown, my hands started glowing and a shadow monster thing that killed a lot of people, then the world dissolved away. What about you?" A very brief cliffnotes version of events, but if more detail was necessary she could go into more detail. Right now she would rather not think too much about recent events though.

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Yes, Gilbert was definitely reverting back to his old ways. Not that Giosue could find too much fault in that. His original persona was forged in much harder times than what they had grown accustomed to. In such a foreign situation as the one they found themselves currently, cutting out the bits of oneself that were unnecessary was the most efficient way to go about making one's way through the unknown. But perhaps those parts were necessary, and not to be cast aside so quickly. As the other Emendator here, it could do well for him to not follow the lead so readily and keep his more modernized outlook.

The appearance of the new figure certainly made the answer to the question of where they were blatant. Gio had always been somewhat curious about what the afterlife was like. This was rather disappointing. He might have actually preferred the world beyond to be literally nothing, a cessation of existence. It would at least spare everyone from being stuck in an empty world. The Watch chalked up the fact that they were together as being a fluke rather than something most people got the luxury of. Maybe there was another afterlife after this one, but that level of speculation was ill befitting of the moment.

This Dike Astrea, although she called herself The Dice, and looked at Gil and Gio with recognition in her eyes, she did not look like Eve, did not act like her. Perhaps she was the aspect of The Dice separated from the persona of Evelina by whatever occurred to bring her here (if this way indeed the world in-between existence, and Faith's ability to be between states was necessary to find Eve, then even without the figure calling herself The Dice, it wouldn't be a stretch to conclude that this is how their comrade had managed to seemingly erase herself from existence). Or maybe this is just some distant future version of her that was now outside of time. But he would still choose to treat her as a separate entity from the Dice that they had been missing not so long ago. And she cut off "the other way out" so to speak, disappearing along with it.

"Well, all we can do is keep looking ahead. Onwards." Gio flattened out his clothes and walked in the direction Gilbert had been, other options cut off and a thousand possibilities swirling about in his head.

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PE Fade Between:

She was pleasantly surprised to learn that the others agreed with her - she had honestly been expecting for them to argue and say that only a masochist would choose punishment over peace. Her mind drifted towards the Paradoxes they had left behind - what would Faith and James have picked? She hoped that James would have gone for peace, but her gut was telling her he would have chosen punishment too. He was a nice guy, but sometimes he struck her a bit as the martyr type... though really, weren't all of them like that? She didn't dwell on it too much longer, her mind racing as Gilbert confirmed that Eve and Nancy were in the direction of punishment.

Eve was here! She pitied Faith instantly for going on what would no doubt be a wild goose chase. It seemed fitting though that Eve would end up where the worlds had all collided into each other - she was such a powerful and prominent figure, it was hard to imagine Eve not playing some part in all of this.

This figure in front of them, Andromeda was certain she had to be Lady Justice. She knew that Lady Justice was based off of the Roman goddess Iustitia - though she was more of a personification than a real goddess. That clearly didn't matter now, as Justice confirmed that was who she was. Andromeda's heart swelled a little bit with pride at having correctly identified her. Sure, the world was ending but she had been right - that felt good. But as Justice continued to speak, that feeling of pride quickly morphed into shock and despair.

"I... I don't understand... Evelina...?" Andromeda stammered. Faith had gone off to go and find Eve. Gilbert had just said that Eve was in the direction of punishment - and Justice looked nothing like Eve. But before she could ask more questions for clarification or even begin to comprehend the situation, Justice was gone. Giouse hardly seemed to be impacted by that conversation, just moving onwards.

"Wait, are we not going to talk about what just happened?!" Andromeda demanded. "We thought time was imploding, now we just found Evelina - something so important we sent Faith out on her own when we're short on people... And we're just going to walk on like that didn't happen?" she asked, incredulous. "Is that what happens to you guys - do you... change and become Greco-Roman gods? Is Gilbert going to become Ares one day? Or did the time collision thing some how... distort Evelina and change her nature into Justice?"

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DTTS Fade Between:

Nancy narrowed her eyes at Richard. Sure, she knew the time period he was from but had he even listened to a single thing she had said? Her brain was on Ancient Greece and their superstitions, so it wasn't too surprising that rather than cuss him out in English, she slipped into Koine Greek - it was what she spoke when she was living in Callatis. "Τι λέτε για να κλείσετε το γαμήσω; Θα φαίνονταν πιο όμορφα αν απλά χαμογέλασα και σιγά σιγά₁," Nancy suggested. She wasn't going to even bother translating that for him. He wasn't worth the time and effort.

From what she could tell, the man had to be one of the three judges of the dead: Minos, Rhadamanthus, and Aeacus. He seemed to share her frustration with a few of them (namely Robert and Mosi) and Nancy huffed a bit. She already felt more kinship with him than she did with the others gathered here. "Believe me, I'm thinking about it - or maybe breaking a personal rule and letting them see my bad side," Nancy commiserated. It didn't surprise her that her soul wasn't up for grabs - she didn't really even know if she had a soul. It was one of the questions that the Cards never really managed to answer for her.

"Hmm... How about your services as a guide to this wonderful little slice of afterlife?" Nancy suggested. If he wanted more for that sort of thing, she would be more than happy to offer up the souls of a few present. "And your name? You can call me Nancy - or one of my other names, I've got no doubt that you probably know a couple of them."

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There was a fierce look in Gilbert's eyes as Judgement spoke. Contained behind a face otherwise seemingly at ease, smiling even, as if one was looking at a tiger pacing back and forth behind the bars of a cage, and that tiger was staring back with ravenous intentions. Pseudo-religious rhetoric that served to delay the outset of their journey, when in all honesty, Gilbert would much rather have been back at the Plantation, training the newer Paradoxes and working on Sophia's new hand like he damn well wanted them to do from the outset. Granted, no one could have done a thing about the collapse of time and space as they knew it, but at this point it was the principle of the thing. And now, he would rather be on his way to this reality's conception of Purgatory, or Punishment, or whatever dark and foreboding corner of metaphysical existence his family was in.

This was a revelation, of sorts. Gil knew full well when Evelina became aware of herself. The idea of Judgement was far older than that. Gilbert himself gained his consciousness at the dawn of human civilization, maybe giving him an increased appreciation for both Humanity and Civilization overall. It could even be said that these two concepts made him who he was, even though he was once a destroyer of both. But more to the point, this idea of Justice was a far older thing than civilization, ergo far older than himself. Which meant older than Evelina. And before this, the stranger in the blindfold was called "The Dice". Were there Emendators before him? He had always thought he was the first. How interesting.

Then again, this sort of conjecture was dangerous. Foolhardy. Immaterial to their present situation, even if a shred of it was correct. Good to file away for later. And yet, this seemed so familiar somehow. It always was, during what he referred to as his "First Lifetime", that whenever he went on some epically heroic undertaking, a woman would preset herself in a cryptic manner as a guide or to test him, even if that test was merely resolve. The full meaning of the words spoken were rarely apparent until some time after.

Wait, was there another Hat before him? What kind of an asshole was he like?

Questions aside, there was literally only one place for them to go now. Choice made. Gilbert tipped his cap in the general direction of the place where Judgement had disappeared, intoning, "Madame," and turning back in the direction he was heading to begin with. "I agree with The Watch," he stated flatly, and looked to the Paradoxes in the group, nodding knowingly before setting back off. Perhaps it was that he agreed with or knew of their confusion, it was hard to say from so vague a motion.

The concerns of Andromeda did draw more out of him, though his voice was more tense than usual as he spoke. "You are right to question, Andromeda. Please do not come to conclusions too quickly. None of us knows how this works. Not really. I can tell you this: That was not Evelina. She is in that direction," he motioned toward the tree in the distance, "and she is very far away by my ability to detect. She said that long before she was Justice, she was called The Dice. The true implications I can only suspect." Oh, but he did have his suspicions.

The idea of Gil becoming Ares did bring a slight smile to his face, though it was short lived. "Ares? Never met her." But he did offer, "In a way, you might be correct. The commonly accepted idea of Ares took a little influence from me. I believe that I am prettier." Sarcasm, disarming or no, probably didn't help their situation. "Apologies. Yes, that happened. She is gone now, and our course has not changed. If you wish to continue discussing it, please, let us do so as we walk." He continued along his path, speaking still, "I do not believe I will ever be deified, if that is what you are asking. Humanity tried the first time, and they were apparently only partly successful."

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DttS In-Between: Josephine felt her eye twitch upon Richard’s words. But then again, even she knew that not everyone went to the movies or saw her pictures when they did. The man was merely misinformed. It was not his fault, she reminded herself. ”Well I will say it again. Josephine Clarke, actress. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, though I do not enjoy the circumstance.” Hearing talk of where they were potentially didn’t brighten it up either. They were not in hell. Fantastic. Didn’t mean it did not feel like it.

Soon a figure had joined them and his appearance did little to quell the nervousness arising in her belly. By all accounts he appeared normal, if normal could be a term used in this situation, but it seemed most of the others with them held little knowledge apart from the mousy woman partnered with the ill-informed detective, and Gene, who’s name was now apparently Nancy.

Jo would not be placed in the background though. ”My good man, I apologize for our friend’s insults. We truly mean no harm. We arrived here not too long ago without meaning to. I am certain none of us desired to be in the Underworld. I am not as knowledgeable as Nancy is here, but I believe we would all appreciate a guide to these parts.” She feared what he wanted in return, but she hoped Gene (or Nancy now) would at least step up to prevent her own demise.



DttS In-Between: Faye was more knowledgeable than most in her current party, so hearing they were in what could be the Greek Underworld surprised her (really because how was that even possible? Even she was surprised), but she accepted it because what alternative was there? It didn’t explain the haze, the time spell, but it at least explained what they saw currently.

Richard putting his foot in his mouth didn’t surprise her either. ”Richard, really. Situation aside, you really must learn to be up to date with the current trends and culture. Miss Clarke is an expert on the silver screen.” Granted it did not explain the woman’s appearance, but the others with her did not mind her company. Gene or Nancy was happy to see her and since Gene or Nancy seemed a lot more informed with all of this than herself, she was happy to accept anyone.

The man, whoever he was, made it quite clear they were not supposed to be here. But here they were anyway. Nancy and Jo quickly went to work in trying to charm and appeal to the man and Faye knew her strengths. She slid next to Richard, less he decide to speak more to the man who clearly knew these parts well and would probably not be opposed to dealing with a nitpicky man. ”Let the others do what they do best, Richard. She seems especially capable.” She whishpered to Richard, in reference to Nancy, who she had slowly began to admire in the short amount of time she knew her.



Evenlina's Cave: Faith clenched her fist. ”For this apparent all-knowing being mother figure you try to portray, you are quite stupid. You left us in the care of two people who had no idea how to run things and no idea how to prepare us for…whatever was happening. Hell, they appeared to need you just as much, if not more, than the rest of us. So pardon me if I felt abandoned by the one person who I gave a damn about before the trust exercises you had us go through. That might have opened my eyes more to my fellow Paradoxes, but it was you and you first I cared about and you left me alone without a word. What else was I to think other than abandonment?”

Faith could feel herself getting emotional and it pissed her off. She took a few deep breaths, allowing Eve to continue speaking. She spoke about the others, who seemed to be here along with them, and someone who she needed to give something to? ”I have weapons to kill and quell the Kin so if this man, whoever he is, desires them he is more than welcome to them, though I would not like to be unarmed in this place.”

Finally, Eve’s question made her think, but not too long. She knew the answer already. ”I would have thought that was obvious. If you had asked me before, I would have gladly sought my past life. Killing Walkers may not be glamourous or the best way to live, but it was what I had to work with, what I had to do. I felt no purpose other than surviving until the next day. Now, I would not give up anything I learned to go back to that life. I saw other times, experienced different things, and learned skills I never thought I would need, let alone use. And before you say anything, I never not appreciated the help you and the other Emendators gave. But leaving us did not help us, even if you ultimately think it did.”

Faith continued to dry herself quickly, so they could get moving. ”Am I even here to save you? Or are you yet again saving me? I hate irony.”

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And the whole situation wasn't looking about the brightest right about now. She made a pondering face, thinking about the way things stood right about now. She also threw a glance at Mahendra who was using her as convenient protection against what she assumed was the snake's presence? Did she have the power to ward off snakes? Hell no, but if it made the man feel better might as well let him to it for the moment. There was no hurt in acting as a barrier to block line of sight or simply standing between them. She knew snakes could be dangerous, very much so, still it wasn't a reason to hate or fear them in general. What's more they had their uses. Detective man also wasted no time into getting to the point, a thing he could respect to a degree. However that was not the way to address and talk to being of unknowable power. Especially when said being hadn't really gone out of his way to actually offend you either.

In any case, whomever this guy was, be it Baron Samedi, Papa Legba or maybe someone else entirely, didn't give a specific reply to her question, but from what he did say to the woman who offered Loki's pendant, she got enough of clues. Naturally values shifted depending on the requests and she as well assumed on the mood of this guy which was honestly his right. He did seem to like that pendant and souls apparently.

That little exchange, really made Mosi ponder the identity of that woman. She didn't like this feeling of not being aware at least partially of what's happening. The woman wanted him to supposedly be a guide to this place and while Mosi was approving of the idea since she was just thinking what it would cost to get some directions to the closest place with inhabitants they could actually rest and maybe get some more answers. If the man would be willing to be their guide it would be great, just question was what it would cost cause she wasn't sure if that pendant even as great as she assumed it was given it's origin, would be enough to move him. Guy was speaking with Nancy, so Mosi was pondering if she should speak out for a moment. In the end she sank into thought. Honestly she briefly pondered returning back and what it would take, but that thought quickly vanished as it had appeared. She doubted she'd get another chance to come to this world if she somehow happened to leave. Better stay, explore, learn and experience.

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DTB Fade Between

As they moved on forward to wherever Kyra and her Lord of the Rings' sized wolf were leading them, Robert was trying to not think too hard on what was going on. Oh he wanted an answer to what the Devil was going on, several answers in fact, but the more he thought about all of this, he could only come to one conclusion; If they weren't all dead, had he gone mad? Had something happened while he slept in Adelaide's car? Had she crashed, he survived in a coma and now living through all of this as a vegatable in Hell?

It certainly wasn't a relief to hear Kyra's reply to him. The wolf…wasn't that big? Okay, just what kind of mad scientist-bred wolves existed in this place? Robert shuddered at the thought of having an ever massiver wolf chasing him, when Caesar called out to him. Robert turned to face him, his face drawing a blank at first when he was asked if Adelaide has found out anything for him? Oh yeah, right, the big scene back at her book store. "What, the connection between the murders of her ex-husband, your…daughter…and Juno? Not sure. We found out a few things down in the vault, more pertinent to our own investigation really…like the book that was stolen from Adelaide." Robert began to explain, sticking closer to Caesar as he tried to think back to what they actually discovered. "I hate to sound crazy, but…oh fuck it, the book was about the Greek Underworld and whatnot. And if this doesn't feel like that, then I don't know what does…Connected? Maybe, I've seen enough shit as of lately to buy a batshit-crazy connection like that."

Robert tried to remember what else they had found out. Now he didn't know if Caesar could be trusted, if anyone of them could be trusted. But hell, when in a desert Hellscape, don't act like you're in Kansas anymore. Robert continued to think hard on what else could be relevant, remembering Caesar asking about Adeliade's ex-husband who was shot by a arms-dealer, and the British lad asking about another ancient tome about magical dice, when Kyra decided to sit down…Three days? What? And clearly Mali wasn't happy about it. Robert looked at Mali explaining about her hands glowing, chimming in as he remembered; "Not just your hands, that die you threw at the shadow monster too." Robert added, turning his gaze over to Caesar. "Mr. Gonzalez, didn't your British man ask about something like that? Magical dice or something?"

DttS Fade Between

Mahendra continued to cower in fear behind the back of Mosi, his head poking up ever so slightly as the conversation of bargaining continued back and forth. The American detective had either failed in his perception of the horrible, frightening, monstrous snake-man's intentions, or his ploy had failed to fool him. Why was Mahendra surprised at this, the man had a SNAKE around his neck, this was no mere man. He was a fiend! A ghoul! An evil spirit from the Other Side that taunted them with vile threats of death! The eyes, the snake, the eyes!

Richard had to restrain himself as Carribean fella wasn't buying the Detective's profiling of him, and even throwing his own rhymes at the New Yorker who was having an already bad enough day as it was. Had he been wrong, or was the bastard a better liar than Richard had anticipated? Clearly the bargaining would be handled by Gene/Nancy/Miss talking-in-foreign-tounges and the top-hat snake man. Fine, have it their way, as Richard stepped aside to let them do the talking.

Still behind the back of Mosi, his unlikely and only source of protection against the most certainly imminent attack of the SNAKE, Mahendra tried to hide from the snake as best he could in order to not be any more scared than he already was. It was a strange way of man, come to think of it; Mahendra had handled elephants and other animals in Bengal, fought the Turks in the Middle East with death on all sides, and had travelled to a far-off land to learn the ways of the White Man. He had travelled to the lands of Egypt in search of a future, found himself in the company of the strange Fellowship, trapped beneath the desert sands and now in an alien plane. And what was he doing now? Cowering behind the back of a lady, afraid of a snake. The shame, oh the shame Mahendra felt as he remained in the back!

The New York Detective was perhaps faring better than the Bengali geologist, but only in his composure. Inside he was getting rightly pissed-off at everything. Had he been far off his assessment of the top-hat, creepy fella? He didn't think so, there was no way he was taking the pendant of Low-Key or whatever Nancy called it, just to help them. Richard had his doubts, especially when the mention of "A soul for a prize" was done. That didn't sit right with him. Even less so with the so-called actress lady re-introducing herself to him, handling him like he was a peasent to a tsar or something. Had it not been for Faye talking to him as well, he'd give her a solid piece of his mind.

Faye, even for what respect Richard had garned for her, wasn't understanding him either it seemed. Current trends and culture? An expert on the silver screen? Richard breathed heavily, his cigarette glowing red like his eyes would if they could. These people they really didn't understand, did they? With Faye slid up next to him, Richard pulled out his cigarette and leaned down to her himself. "Until those good-for-nothing upper-classs gits take the time to give a damn about my daughter, I don't have any obligation or time to boost their egos…" Richard ranted to Faye, putting the cigarette back in his mouth as he pinched of yet more ashes. This was not his forté, his best enviroment, not the New York he knew, hated, but knew how to work in. "And apparently all I am capable of is to be the butt of the joke, is that so?" Richard whispered back to Fay, though hearing his own words and feeling weak for uttering them. He wasn't a man to complain, and with all of this getting to him, perhaps he was cracking under the pressure?

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Bart tilted his head as he listened to Judgement speak, and his eyes almost went wide at her calling herself the Dice. This woman didn't remind him of Eve, and by the way she spoke about herself, she seemed much older than eve ever made him believe her to be. He had so many questions he wanted to ask, but alas, she was gone as quick as she came, not giving him a chance to have his curiosity sated. Instead, it seemed he was left questioning more than he was before her arrival. The Hat too, seemed to not think she was Eve either, but that left the room for further speculation.

Reflecting on this knowledge in his head, assuming that wasn't Eve, and she wasn't lying, the only reasonable answer he could find would be that the Emendators respective roles were somehow inherited. Even that though didn't quite click with him, since the Emendators were ancient. To correct for that, he though that, perhaps, due to the time traveling, universe hopping nature of the group, they could exist in parallel with one another. Maybe, there were somehow concurrent Emendators, and they simply had never met before. Or, maybe just later on, after they die, eventually they're replaced. Judgement seemed like more than your run of the mill Emendator, by the way they were talking they seemed like something on the level of a deity, just from how they spoke of the nature of life and death.

While he went through this analysis, he followed after Gil, thinking of only one question he could reasonably ask from their interaction with Judgement. "Gill, and Gio too, if I may ask," he started, "How did you come about your titles? The Hat and The Watch?" That was the biggest outlier to him, most of all, not that there could be multiple of each Emendator, but that if there were, they seemed to all have the same titles. Maybe insight into this would help him better understand the situation.

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PE-Fade Between:

Sophia looked over at the Justice woman for a moment as she spoke, she didn't really pay to much attention to history class when she was growing up. But she stood there and listened as the woman spoke, and at the mentioning that she was The Dice, or The Dice before Evelina made her even more confused at the moment. She rubbed the back of her neck slightly, before Justice quickly moved on, Sophia stared over at Gio. He wasn't even going to ask questions? It was a pretty big bombshell to her, did Evelina even know? She wasn't sure looking over at Andromeda she had the same feeling as well. "I am pretty clueless as to what she meant as well." Sophia said towards Andromeda, as she started to think for a moment.

"Maybe, she died or something and came here and Evelina was the one to take her place afterwards before the woman became Justice?" Sophia asked, and just shrugged slightly she was really confused right now as well. Sighing more to herself looking at the others for a moment longer, but decided to just match Andromeda's pace. Right now she wasn't sure if either Gio or Gil knew where they were going right now either, overhearing Bart's question. "They probably had a hat and watch whenever they were born or something, that's why they have their titles?" Sophia called out to Bart.

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DTTS-Fade Between:

Lauren looked at the man for a moment and then over towards Nancy as she offered her pendant towards him, she wasn't sure what it meant at all or anything. She rubbed the back of her neck slightly as she stared at everyone else who was there, Lauren didn't really like the creepy man as he spoke offering his services for something from them, looking over at everyone again. Lauren didn't really have anything to offer at all really, other than making booze with no problem she knew how to make drinks really easily before speaking up, when Nancy asked for a guide which was probably a good thing.

"I uh, don't really have anything of use, but I do know how to make some moonshine I could give you my family's recipe for your guide services?" Lauren asked looking at everyone else so far no one really offered anything else other than Nancy, she really hoped that they would find some way to get out of here, or even fix whatever happened. Lauren was worried about everyone else from their little expedition group, since some of them were currently missing right now. Lauren really hoped the cost of the service didn't really mean to offer up their lives, or a body part of theirs shuddering at the thought of it as well.

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DTB-Fade Between:

Riley continued to follow everyone else, she looked down at her feet as she thought about the last words Cecily had tried to say to her, sighing slightly. She hoped that they would be able to fix whatever was happening, as she continued to move forward looking over at the cliff face in the distance. It was better than nothing, as she continued to walk she stared at the others in the group Riley didn't know them at all well enough, or even if they would be able to watch her back in this place. Riley watched Ceasar offer something to drink to their guide. "Mind if I take a sip of that?" Riley asked, she could use a drink right now, she was already stressed out enough as it is as well.

When they got to the cliff face Riley sat down and rested a bit as well looking up at the sky for a moment when Mali spoke up what they were doing before being sent here. "So you managed to kill Bertha then?" Riley asked, remembering the name of the creepy as fuck clown back in her hometown and shuddered at the thought of it, before answering her question. "I went home simply to bury my sister Chloe." Riley said, she wasn't going into detail about her death either. "Pyria, Roy's partner and I were deputized kinda and follow the creepy clown to Adelaide's place. We found some tunnels down there, that took us to the asylum. And well the rest is all pretty much history." Riley said.