Autumn Jasmine Dokken's Story

Alex sat quietly when she spotted a man walking up the hill towards her another person heading toward him. "How very interesting..." She blinked at the both of them before forcing herself to stand her dark arm was visible with the specks like stars in it. "Can I help you???" She walked down a little ways observing the two people now. She noticed how young the girl was her face was covered with dirt and tears. Alex pulled a hanker-chief out of her pocket and wiped grit from her face. "You new here???" Alex asked cleaning up her face before stuffing her hanker-chief in her pocket and blinking at the two dead in front of her.

Ar'ther cocked his head to the side. "Well im not new here I have been here for a long time now." He smiled and nodded his head. The girl was small he was curious to see how old see was but he was not going to ask cause that would be rude. He knelt down and looked at the girl. "Awe." he said as he looked at the other girl. "So how long have you been here?" He asked He looked at the girls arm and saw what it looked like. He never really had seen what it had lead to but he wanted to know what it was now. He cocked his head again. "At least its a nice day." he pointed out. His face returned to its normal look of neutralness. He looked around to see what else was going on. Maybe someone knew what this was. "If it helps my name it Ar'ther its nice to meet the both of you."

Alex blinked shocked when arms wrapped around her. "Oh...My arm and body is being swallowed by darkness...Like I said...You new here...Things like this will make sense later on." She plopped down onto the grass. "Though I'm quite particular because of the specks of light within the dark...But let us not get into technical matters....Autumn???" Alex wanted to make sure she pronounced it right. "My name is Alex...Alex Gray...But names nor age matter much here..." She looked at Ar'ther. "I haven't seen you here before...Are you knew also???"

Alex sighed. "Sorry to break this too you kid...But there is no city in Limbo...Well not the type your thinking off...Limbo is the place souls go when there not yet... properly dead...Most of the time new arrivals awake in that Inn looking building over there..." Alex turned Autumn and pointed. "If you didn't that means you need to go there... If you want I can take you...I've been here a long time... So i know most everyone...Even the guards of this place...They say I have a strong soul." She stood. "Enough of that..." She frowned upset and gently patted the girl on the shoulder. "What I'm trying to say is... Your... Kinda dead..." Her voice was shaky not out of fear or sadness but about what the young girls reaction would be to this discovery. "If you need...One of us can take you to orientation...Your gonna need some closure..." Alex really hated telling people they were dead.

Alex felt guilt rise up in her and scooped the small girl into her arms. "Shhh~" She rubbed the girls back. "Your... not entirely dead...Limbo is the place in between...Because you were not ready to die yet... But don't worry... I know you will pass to the castle and see your dad ok???" She picked up the girl and dried her eyes. "I had the same reaction you know...Then I realized I wasn't waiting for anyone on the other side... So it was less sad for me... But I still understand." She gently patted the girl and then looked around. "If it's alright il take you to the town down there...There are in a sense guards and workers...They can explain thing's better then me...Just be strong ok...Stronger your soul...The less likely you are of this happening...Ok?" Alex showed her dark arm again before starting off down the hill. Alex felt oddly calm about the entire situation because she had sadly had to do it a few times but Alex had a motherly instinct toward the new comers to everyone despite having to be strong to fight off the darkness she was a gentle person... When she wasn't being a trouble-making brat.

Story

He gazed down from His cloud as one of His favourite souls cheered up a newcomer. Alex was an interesting one, she had been here for so long, He honestly was surprized she hadn't turned yet. Most souls relenquished themselves to the darkness eventually and though her story wasn't persay 'full of life', her will-power alone had interested Him. Seeing that she had calmed the youth some He desided to make His appearance know. It wasn't that He didn't care about the child, He just couldn't tolerate whimpering. Dealing with those who have passed on for as long as He had, one got tired of experiencing the same horrible reactions. Confusion was one thing, He could answer a few questions, tears though..He had no patience for it. Why should one be so upset to pass over to this now beautiful world? Try existing as He had, then maybe He'd find the compassion for tears.

With a sigh He passed through the cloud and landed lightly a few meters way from the group. He didn't wish to startle the newcomers, He did have a certain amount of politeness, but He would introduce them to the strangeness of this realm- His realm. Humans were'nt the only things that died and He'd rather be the one to point it out than the newbies get an unpleasant surprise.

His movements were smooth, fluid-like as He made His way towards the walking group. Try as He might to mimic human body language, He couldn't help the 'oddness' which leaked through. His glowing yellow eyes locked on Alex. "Hello, Alex," He bowed, His voice carrying a somewhat musical tune," I see you've found some new strays." He turned His attention to the child and smiled, "Welcome to your afterlife."

Ar'ther started to follow the other two mostly to see some sort of interaction between people. "If you really want to know I have been here for." He then started to count "Well lets see. Well I think it has to be around 578 years now." He contorted his face thinking. "Wow that is a long time." He thought to himself he was feeling like he had been there for a long time. As he walked her started to bob his head back and forth just to pass the time. "I have been here for a long time. I have had a long time so its been kinda weird not knowing where or why I am here."

Alex blinked as Autumn inquired about her meeting her father. "I'd very much like too...But you see unlike most of the people here...They don't know why I'm here...They know I'm dead... and dead for a very long amount of time...They simply don't know why I'm in Limbo...And because of that...I can't leave...But don't worry Il help you leave and get to your dad alright...Just no more tears...And cheer up ok?" She spotted Story move over and huffed. "Back of Story let the new girl be... Besides don't you and your Darklings have anything better to do??? Stalk a plant with a soul perhaps???" She let Autumn go. "Autumn... Meet Story hes not dead... But hes... Hes not really anything actually hes just Story...He can seem a little creepy sometimes when hes hungry for souls and all that...But don't worry hes ok...I mean I've been here what 50, 100 year I don't know and he hasn't managed to eat my soul let alone get a glimpse at it." She flicked Story in the nose.

She knew very well what Story was... And more so what he did but Alex had never shown fear or disgust at it as some might do. Not because she did not care but simply because. She found it kinda interesting and a little sad that Story had to live other peoples lives instead of finally being able to live his own. But that was not the only reason. He entertained her in a sense when she was bored. Mostly because when she would be relaxing somewhere she might spot him with his Darklings or chasing around some new souls and even some old ones. This gave her something to laugh at. The only other thing she laughed at was the odd jokes she played on fellow souls or even the Watchers that guarded Limbo. If she knew Story a little better she might encourage him to join her on her pranking but so far she never had.

Alex looked at the other new comer Ar'ther. "I don't know where this one came from really though... So you could go ahead and try and charm him if your really hungry..." She chuckled playfully and smiled. She missed joking around with people. And perhaps Limbo's one downfall was that it seemed to make everything quiet even when the wind blew through the hill of grass the blades of grass sounded dull not like the sharp sound that could sometimes ring through grass when a sharp wind of gust blew making even the trees rattled there branches. But Limbo was quiet and dull. It also was the kind of place that made you feel half asleep. So there were few people like herself who still somehow laughed and ran and fought the sleepiness it brought over people. Perhaps that was another reason she did not mind Story. Just like her he seemed unaffected by the smothering quiet of the place he could laugh and his voice would change tunes to be less monotone aside him Alex only knew of herself that was not affected though she wondered if maybe Autumn was different because she also seemed packed with life.

Kajou heard the girl's footsteps as he he kept his eyes firmly planted to the ground. He couldn't help but jump when the noise suddenly stopped and there was a tug on the back of his shirt. Looking up, he saw that the it was the girl giving him a small, comforting smile.

"I'm going to try to find a loophole in my head. Thanks for everything, Kajou. I'll umm... Call you later."

Kajou could only stare at her as she walked past him and scooting past the man in the doorway. Loophole in her head? Is she really having such a hard time accepting that this was reality? A lot of new souls had a bit of shock, Kajou himself being one of them, but never denial to this extent as far as he'd seen. And why did she pause when she said she'd see him later? Was she lying? If the man took her to the hotel, then she'd be back and start living in the town herself. But what if he was going to take her off with him in his wander across Limbo? And yet despite all of these worries and questions, one thing stuck with him.

Thanks for everything, Kajou.

The words echoed in his ears as he watched her move from sight. The stab in his chest - his heart he finally realized - stung him again. He didn't want her to go. He didn't want to be alone again. He didn't want to have to meet these other perfect strangers when she had already been so kind to him. Kajou hung his head and clenched his fists as he closed his eyes to hold back bitter tears. Despite all that wanted, there were still fears. The fear of the outside. The fear of sudden and painful rejection. So much pain... and as if the pain couldn't be contained in his mind, there was suddenly a harsh scream in the air. Kajou pulled his head up as his eyes snapped open, a few rebellious tears finding their mark and dripping onto the floor. It was the girl again. But she wasn't screaming out of fear. She sounded angry. The man stepped out of the doorway after stating something... odd.

"You will be coming too. She is attracted to you in some way and we need to make sure she is okay."

Attracted to him? Maybe he had the fortune of finding her and helping her the best he could when she needed it but that hardly felt like some strange attraction like he made it out to be. But what if he meant it in another sense? And why did he state he was coming too? It wasn't an invitation or a question. It was like an order and even if he did end up going with him, ignoring how much the idea scared him, he didn't like the idea of this man making him. But as another scream split through the air, none of it mattered. Kajou ran out of the open door, wiping his eyes on the back of his sleeve as he ran, his bare feet eventually skidding to a stop at the entrance to an alley that the dark haired man stood by. The sight in the alley itself shocked him. While the man had apparently calmed her down, the blue eyed girl had thrown quite a fit. All the odds and ends kept here had been shattered and there were spots on the wall where red liquid was dripping down from. The same liquid covering the girl's knuckles. Blood. She was hurt.

Before he even was able to absorb everything he was seeing, Kajou was running back to the house. He went to the kitchen and threw a cupboard open, grabbing a handful of rags before he ran back outside and sprinted back to the alley, almost tripping over his own tired feet halfway there. He didn't lose his stride until he was back to the girl. Somehow she had gotten into even worse condition than when he left as he saw blood flowing out a new wound on her arm. He didn't wait for any objections or even for his breathe to catch up with him as he began typing the strips of cloth over her hands to stop the blood dripping out of the wounds on her knuckles. As his fingers fumbled with the knot of the first rough cloth strip, a weak string of words worked their way out his through. "P-Please don't hurt yourself anymore. Please."

Story

He stood before the girls with eyebrows raised, a tiny ghost of a smile on His lips. It wasn't everyday He was treated with such..bluntness, but Alex was a special case. She didn't fear Him, one thing He loved about the girl, but it was also one thing which irked Him slightly. She didn't always show the proper respect for beings as old as He and though He was able to take her actions in good fun, sometimes she was needed to be remind of her place. He feigned sadness as she introduced Him to the new soul, "Plants?" He asked dumbfounded, bringing a hand to his chest as if in pain, "I'm horrified by your accusations. You know I favour stalking your kind. So much more.." He looked down to the new girl as Alex released her, "lively."

His eyes returned once more to Alex as she further introduced Him. "He's not really anything actually.." She could've said anything else, but those words stung. Though, they weren't exactly friends, she had known Him long enough to know which buttons shouldn't be pushed. The truth was harsh and He couldn't go against His nature. Living was always such a touchy subject. He took a step back, caught of guard by the flick to the nose. He knew of Alex's games, but her comment put Him on edge and His anger made His actions quick. Fluidly, He grasped her retreating hand and drew her close to Him. Their faces were merely inches apart and knowing the human perception of 'personal space', He gave a knowing and devious smile. "Don't be mean, Alex," He accused, giving her hand a firm squeeze, "I meant no harm." Pulling the girl closer, he suddenly bowed and kissed the top of her hand. He didn't want hard feelings, she was one of His favourite souls afterall, but she needed to be shown her limits from time to time.

As if to add more tension to the meeting, a sudden scream penetrated the air. He stood sighing at the aggravating sound and released Alex's hand. To His disappointment, the newcomers fled before He could do anything. He frowned and slumped slightly. He hadn't even been able to properly introduce Himself yet. Here He was taking the time to welcome the new strays, yet all of Purgatory seemed too interested in screaming. /Honestly/, He wondered, pouting off into the distance, /Since when was screaming preferred over a nice talk?/

Alex blushed as Story kissed her hand. "Eh sorry...Sometimes I forget people still have emotions...Guess that's what makes you interesting..." She shyly pushed him away. Mostly because she was shy... And also because she was not use to being held. Not even her own parents held her really. They had literally taken the term of self soothing wayyyyy to far. "Now now no hard feelings Story." She smiled kindly and apologetically. She felt rather cruel for her words, but it was hard staying happy and kind when you had been alone so long. Even if she remained herself the bitterness still stayed.

At the scream and Autumn running off she raised an eye brow. "Probably just some new comer having trouble adjusting... Or finding out there dead and screaming..." Alex remembered where she first woke up on Limbo. She had probably the plainest reaction ever. Sitting up. Blinking and talking to everyone. Limbo was boring like that for her anyway. Maybe she never properly grieved over death...Maybe the fact she lacked a true life was her problem... But her wild spirit and strong soul made up for that in her own opinion.