[ DEPARTURE ]

[sheriffexe]

DEPARTURE

It's time to go. Most people are on the train by now. Settled into their cabins and among friends and loved ones. There are only three new arrivals left to board and once they do, Hal pulls a conductor's hat out from underneath the bar, tugs it on, and steps around it to the middle of the train. He opens his mouth to talk, voice filling the train. "It's time to go. Stops happen once a day until everyone's departed and I already have your stopped listed. If you'd like to be prioritized, let me know, otherwise we'll go in order of death. Settle in and enjoy the ride. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask, folks." This, of course, means that those who died earliest (Manfred, Higekiri) will depart first while those who died latest (Barnham, Damian, Percy) will depart last. There's a stop for everyone, though those who want to get off together are more than welcome to. Hal pulls a notepad and pen out of his pocket later and people will notice that he goes around the train confirming stops with everyone. Whatever feeling Hal may have had to a character back in town isn't noticeable here -- he is simply a robot assigned with a job. After that, it's all a matter of settling in and enjoying the ride. If that's possible for you, at least.

QUICK NAV PRIVATE CONVERSATIONS | STATUSES | PROFILES | LOCATIONS | GRAVEYARD | MAIN NAVIGATION

Comments

[robitussin]

Chasm, schism, close enough.

[no it is not

Either way, she tilts her head, amused for some reason.]

Let me guess, the world being threatened is a common thing for you?

[thatsthespirit]

[THOSE ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS NATALIE]

It is, unfortunately. And while I'd like to believe the dissolution of the Schism will bring peace, I'm not so naive to think that it will.

Two different worlds coming together will be chaotic. Humans will need guidance, and while they'll find it from within, I need to be there to ensure they don't try anything chaotic.

[she'll maintain a hands off policy until she is forced to intervene, basically]

[robitussin]

Well, if this place is anything to go by...

[In terms of how chaotic people can be when they're frightened.]

Good luck. You'll probably need it.

[thatsthespirit]

[NATALIE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW THE HALF OF WHAT'S WAITING FOR MILLA BACK HOME HA HA. . .]

Thank you. Though I don't like relying solely on luck.

[robitussin]

[rip milla]

...Yeah, that sounds like you.

[A smile, and a small pause.]

Once a day in order of death... Sounds like it'll be over a month for both of us, huh?

[thatsthespirit]

[echoes that smile, and nods]

Likely. I have to admit I'm grateful for the time to rest.

[and. . . the time to spend with her friends. her allies. her comrades. right now, she's not quite ready to say good bye]

[she will be, when she has to, but she wants to take advantage of this first]

[robitussin]

[Her grin grows a little teasing, and she leans forward to prop her chin in one of her hands.]

Think of all the food you can eat, Milla!

[thatsthespirit]

[oh my gosh. Natalie might be teasing, but Milla's expression lights up]

Right? There's so much good food on this train! And it's ready as soon as you order it, too. It's so convenient!

[robitussin]

You're totally going to...

[wait]

Do you think we can gain weight while we're technically not alive?

[thatsthespirit]

. . .

Frankly, I've never worried about my waistline before.

[SO SHE HAS NO CLUE]

[robitussin]

...Wait, is that a non-human thing? Do you just not have to worry about that?

[thatsthespirit]

Well, with a human body I suppose I would, but I didn't start actually eating until recently.

[wtf Milla that's weird]

And so I just never gave it much thought.

[robitussin]

...So the human body is a new thing?

[she feels like she would remember that??]

[thatsthespirit]

Well, not precisely. I actually inhabited a human body for twenty years before I lost it.

[haaaa]

But I used the power of the spirits to gather nutrients and water, so I never had to eat or drink. It was only when I lost the power of the spirits that I had to consume calories and rest like a normal human would.

[robitussin]

[She pauses for a moment.]

Okay, I have two questions, and I'm betting you can guess what they are.

[thatsthespirit]

Ah-- actually, I can't.

Because I am not a mind reader.

[robitussin]

...Oh.

[this is what she gets for assuming]

How did you lose the first body?

[thatsthespirit]

I died.

[yeup]

My death in this town wasn't the first time I've experienced it.

[robitussin]

[she quiets for a moment, growing more somber]

...I'm sorry.

[thatsthespirit]

[Milla honestly doesn't seem too bothered by it]

It's all right. Dying was my choice. I sacrificed my life to save my comrades.

When I was reincarnated after a brief stay in the spirit world, the form I assumed was similar in appearance to my human body. But it wasn't human-- the catalyst I occupied was lost. And because of that, my time in the human realm was limited.

[and in the end she had to return to the spirit realm because of it and. yeah]

[robitussin]

So, you were human originally, or you just had a different body before the one you're using now?

[thatsthespirit]

I was never human, no. I am simply a spirit who took on a human vessel for a short period of time.

[robitussin]

A short time being twenty years?

[thatsthespirit]

That's right.

[because twenty years is """"short""""]

[robitussin]

...How long have you been alive? Like, not just in a human body, just... In general.