An Amazon sits behind a desk, working through a few piles of folders for a bus of people. She had spent days going through them with Nicki’s help then another figuring out just what to do with them. There had been two others who were monsters who escaped their punishment due to being old, one was somehow continuing his rampage. The less said about them the better, except that they would never hurt anyone again.
After that, even Nicki was having a hard time seeing the good in any of the people left. Even getting to the point of saying, “Just reincarnate them all, wipe their memories. Hope they’ll do better.”
She sent him away after that. It was a solution one that could work, but it wasn’t a good one. Their souls would be too heavy too young, growing up they’d just end up being similar to who they once were unless they’re parents could get it out of them. What they needed was a chance to grow, a way to change and she had the perfect way to do it.
Her solution was to sort them into difficulties. She sorted the pile into, Very easy, easy, medium, hard, very hard, near impossible. She would give everyone left a chance to grow, and let them choose. Those tossed into the Very Easy or Easy pile would be given the chance to reincarnate or become younger, along with other powers to help them. Not to mention they could choose a world for themselves.
Medium would be allowed to become younger down to their twenties and have a say in the type of world. With a cheat skill or two. Hard would be brought down by about a decade, as well as a cheat skill or item. Then impossible to get a skill it would be up to them to survive. Where she would put them. If she happened to through them to a plane of fire then they better hope they had a fire resistance skill.
What she didn’t expect was the stubbornness of old people when she finally started implementing her plan.
“This is not Build a World,” Drystia said her eyebrow twitching at the man across from her. He was one of the easy ones and was being difficult.
He stared “Infinite universes with infinite possibilities, why wouldn’t there be a world with all these specifications.”
Drystia bit her lip and hated how right he was. It would be possible to do it, but she was loath to send him there at this point. Biting back a comment she asked about the other issue. “ Did you pick your cheat?”
For some reason, they had no issue with reincarnation but the idea of a cheat skill was hard for them to grasp. She was in for a very long day.
#
A man sits with a flower crown atop his head as a bonfire blazes in front of him as elves, dryads, nymphs, Fae, humans, and other various magical races dance. Celebrating life as a festival of their own.
He was discovering so many wonderful things about the world around him. They all were so nice, he was excited he learned that spell to find people who’d be able to help him. Well, it was more of a divination spell that he wasn’t even sure would work. He felt all warm and tingly as he took another bite of the cupcake the nice lady with pointy ears gave him.
Nicki had originally thought he would feel out of place when he arrived in jeans and a hoody. Expecting something different, what he didn’t expect was that most of them wore the same, and they somehow knew he’d be there. Jillian had greeted him at the gate a lovely elf, at least that’s what she claimed. Explaining that this was a place for people to gather and live off the land selling vegetables to the city, when he began to ask about the magical she didn’t even blink. Nicki was surprised to learn that only some of the humans had any magic, and even some of the other non-humans had no idea they weren't human. It was all so surreal but at the same time, it was wonderful watching a group of people just live and enjoy themselves like this.
When did Jennifer leave? Looking around he realized he was alone on a stump just half a cupcake left in his hand. Oh well. He took another bite just enjoying the warmth spreading through him. When the fire began to shift colors he looked down at the cupcake seeing barely a bite left. A spiked cupcake. Shrugging he took one final bite before joining the group in their dance.
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#
Jennifer was the last. Too afraid to leave the bus after that first soul-wrenching scream. DeLon was gone that was all she knew. He had never sat right with her, Did they send him to hell?
That giant of a woman said something about moving onto a new world or a new life. But she was just old. She didn’t want to go through life watching her lovers, or children die before their time. She had already had to go through that way too many times. Though she would never admit it, especially to that busybody Izzy. Always up in everybody’s business. One time she didn’t want to go to bingo because her granddaughter, Roma, was supposed to visit, and when she didn’t because her boss made her work over the weekend. The man didn’t even work that weekend himself, she and Roma had a long frustrated conversation about all that, where they both agreed he was a grade-A douche. But no when she didn’t show up Izzy made sure to announce that her granddaughter never came. The looks she got from the staff and other residents made her want to do things to them that she should not say in polite company. But now she was afraid.
Jennifer was the last. She could feel it. There was something about the world when you along. It’s somehow colder, still, filled with something she had never been able to put her finger on. She looked at her walker, and down the extra wide walkway, the pain of an ever-present companion was far away, like a memory. While it should have been something that comforted her, like her favorite shawl filled with stars and foe mystical symbols, a little thing she picked up from the local grocers. Though if anyone asked she would claim it was passed down from her mother to grandmother, and so on. They’re usually awed by something with so much history, and when I tell them it’s filled with magic sometimes their eyes would glisten. Just because she was Romany people seemed to believe her. It was fun, and a lovely comfort, long lost to her granddaughter. She laughed at the thought of it actually being passed down, she laughed. The lie becomes a truth.
Stocking her courage she grabs her walker the familiar metal in her hands bolstering her courage as she steps out of the bus.
Tik-tik-tak.
Tik-tik-tak.
Tik-tik-tak.
Just the sound of her and her walker as she sees the woman sitting behind a desk looking through what must have been her file. I wonder what it says.
The woman’s eyes meet Jennifer's, with a smile. “Why are you using that?
“Because I’m old.” A small cackle fell out as she responded. She said chuckling.
“Yeah. Really old.” She said eying Jennifer up and down. “But you shouldn’t need it here.”
Jennifer liked her, not afraid to give her a ribbing. “Oh. It’s just habit. I’ve used it for so long now. I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to move without pain. Let alone how to.”
“Makes sense.” The woman replied with a shrug. Closing the file she leaned forward. “Let’s make this simple. You are the last of your group. Have you given thought to where you want to go? I do recommend either reincarnation or we could rewind you to a teen again.”
“I would rather not go through puberty again thank you.” Once was more than enough for her. She did not want a repeat of her teen years, though her time with Jeremy wasn’t all that bad.
“Then maybe your twenties?”
“No. No. I’ve already lived that part of my life. I don’t think I have the heart to do it again.” She had really done it up in her twenties, going to parties every night. Trying a few experimental drugs. It was a blast but she wasn’t nearly as naive as she once was and that would ruin the entire experience.
The woman raised an eyebrow, “Thirties?”
“No, I don’t need more time.” She had thought long about exactly what she wanted. It was an idea that came to her when she realized they weren’t dead, and she wasn’t picking an afterlife. “I was just hoping to live what’s left in peace, and without pain.” She hoped the woman could do that.
“I guess I can do. Something like that...” She turned thoughtful as she pulled out a tablet and began moving between screens, “you sure? You wouldn’t happen to want to be a dungeon core?”
“I don’t know what that is. What about about a nice community where I can give cryptic advice? You know crazy old coot who knows things she shouldn’t.”
The smiled a wide genuine smile, “Oh fun.”
#
In a world filled with technology, where knowledge is shared freely. There is a rumor where there should be none, about an old lady who can speak to the wind. What more is the wind apparently talks back. Go out on a moonlit night, when the weather is warm and a breeze drifts through the world. There on a hill, that wasn’t before but always was, is a lovely little house. A place one might find out in the countryside where a woman will tell you what you need to know, or nothing at all. Or maybe she’ll just simply mess with you. She is quite fond of pranks.
Just be polite. Be accommodating. Speak to her like an old friend, and no matter what you will leave better than you came.
* * *