End of life.

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

The humming floated through the cavern, reverberating into a cacophony of sweet melody. He became fully lapine once more, lying in the dirt, facing the darkness, keeping in shadow. He heard the comments of being 'bird-crazy'. He wasnt crazy. He knew what the bird was. He knew why he was turning into one. The bird could tear him apart, it's no shame to imitate. It is merely fear and danger that swallows it. He didnt like it. He didnt want it. But he was not crazy.

"Bird-crazy?" he said. "No birds, just rabbits. I'm not crazy."

[Armalite_]

Spike wiped his brow with his sleeve looking between Jaida and Kitt. He looked back down the hole they partially surrounded. "Any idea what this is?" He asked gesturing to the gaping hole in the ground, looking around for materials, and hatching an idea. As a young boy, Spike would often scavenge for materials to make his ramps or gind pipes out of and construct them together with whatever he had on hand. He remembered back to the time when he rigged his lawn to catch a rabbit with nothing more than a funnel, a measuring cup, and a fishing net, letting out a slight unnoticable chuckle. He'd spotted the branches in the woods along with the vines, and logs. Already, his idea was unfolding in his head. Before he let either Jaida or Kitt answer his question, he was already being lead into the woods by his skater instincts, looking around for what he could use to get to the bottom of the hole with. He looped vine around his arm, gathered as many sturdy branches as he could carry along with two logs being rolled along by his feet. He threw the materials down before  Jaida and Kitt before sitting down cross-legged and getting to work on his vine ladder.

As minutes passed, he was already complete more than half of the ladder and before long, he was done tying together the 80 foot vine ladder. He picked up the log in which one end was tied to and dropped it behind two large rocks in the ground near the egde of the hole. He took the other log and dropped it into the hole, watching as the coil quickly unraveled at his feet. Moments later, the vine was taught. I looked back at Kitt and Jaida. "You think that was long enough?"

[Xleena]

Xleena waited for someone to notice her, but slightly thankful they hadn't heard her embarrassing outburst. Sitting there she thought of how it was always like this when she was alive...how it was always her in the background of things. People never necessarily liked her, nor disliked her; and this annoyed her profoundly. She looked at the bustle going on in the cave in silence, letting the lack of attention wash over her. She should feel grateful... the last time she tried to be either one of these, she ended up dead.

'Kay... so if ya just take this package for me to the café...then it'll make my life so much easier.'
'B-but...isn't this illegal?'
'Xleena...I thought we were friends...right?'
'But, those people... they have guns!'
'So? they don't know who you are... you can just walk right past them, they would notice it was me...you don't want me dead do you??'
'Ahhh...'

Xleena squeezed her eyes shut, a tear rolling down her cheek. She realised she'd been taken for a fool.

[KittKat chunky~]

*Kitt was sitting with his legs dangling down into the deep hole, he watched as spike made a rope ladder... hoping it would be long enough.... he tried to think back, back to life... things where starting to come through.... smoke, screams... fire... heat, his rasping breath against the respirator of the suit, the terrified face of a civilian, running from the fire that was engulfing the multi-story block... he snapped back realising he was leaning forwards into the hole, pulling back he watched a tear roll down Xleena's cheek, had she been reminsicing on her past life too?

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Jaida had just continued humming and staring down into the hole while Spike had been working on something. She watched the vine ladder uncoil down into the hole and ceased her humming. "It looks long enough from here." She said. "Hey guys, can you reach the ladder?" She questioned down to the others.
She wouldn't think that there would be any reason for them to stay in the hole and she sighed while waiting for a response. Her mind kept wandering. All she could see was the face of a panther. He had seemed so genuinely concerned and kind, and yet he deceived her. She shook her head to try and clear it. "What did I get hit with?" She questioned in her mind. "And who hit me? He was leading me and was ahead by a few feet..." Her mind reeled.
Just then, a heavy-enough-looking rock appeared next to her. It was about eight inches in length, about three inches thick, and sort of an oval shape. She looked at it, lifting herself off of the ground and sitting Indian-style. She grabbed the rock and set it in her lap. It was speckled different shades of gray, just an ordinary looking rock. She turned it over and saw that there was blood covering most of the back of it. She quickly turned it back over, not wanting to see. She just stared at the rock, lost in it.

[Asia Kali Yusufzai]

the ladder fell through the hole, casting shadows and darkness onto the ground. Creating shapes. He saw the bird, it had come with it. It was using it. Falling through with the vines into the hole, it landed onto the ground, staying low to the ground. Asia could hear the hiss of its snarl. A mist of sound, slicing through the cavernous area. It had come for him, wanted to pluck him out of the hole, take him, tear him.

Asia ran into the darkness, with a whimper.

[Vosur Aekira]

Vosur pondered following after Asia, but the attitude that he gave when the ladder came down gave Vosur the idea that he did not wish to be helped. "Xleena, Jay.... it may be a good idea if you two took the ladder back up if you can reach it. If you need me to, I'll boost you up to it. I don't think it'll support my weight, and I can get out without it." he spoke to them. He closed his eyes and focused as he placed his right hand on the sheath again, thumbing the blade a bit out of the sheath. The blade glowed a soft, pale white light to the surrounding area in the tunnel.

[JellyMuffins]

Jay smiles at the wolf, "No, it's okay". He tenses his legs and bounces about a third of the way up the ladder, nimbly climbing the rest of the way and swinging himself around the top of the hole. He thanks the new fox before looking back down into the darkness at the small pool of light thrown off by Vosur's sword; he calls down, "Looks like the ladder's safe" He paused then, going over what had just happened, he wondered why he still trusted flimsy things that kept one in the air, the ladder could easily have snapped, sending him hurtling towards the ground again. He should have learned his lesson from the failed parachute... as ever though, he just laughs it off, "C'mon Xleena, hurry it up so we can go! Don't worry about Asia, he can take care fo himself, he's got bird-power!" He giggles happily, rolling onto his back and relaxing back into the soft, blue grass.

[Armalite_]

Spike watched as the rabbit left the hole. "I guess there's nothing interesting down there, eh?" Spike asked before he laughed. "I'm Spike by the way, skater and engineer at your service. We haven't properly met." He waved in greeting. "Don't worry about the ladder. It'll hold up to two people...or one really big one." He chuckled, kicking his skateboard up into his hand. "By the way, how many of you are there down there???" He asked looking back over to the hole.

[KittKat chunky~]

*Kitt counted on his paws*

"umm, three? and nice ta meet ya spike, names Kitt.... umm, dead fireman at your service"

*Kitt watched Spike expertly kick the skateboard up into his paws*

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Jaida didn't hear anything around her. She didn't see Jay come up from the hole. She didn't notice Spike kick his skateboard up into his hand. All of her senses were focused on the rock she held in her lap.
She stared at it. Running her fingers over it, she tried to understand. It was like she thought that if she touched it and gave it all her attention then it would tell her something. But it was just a rock, an inanimate object, with dry blood on the back. Her blood.

[Goblin Cat 😸]

Rigor looked the guardian over as the faceless were obliterated. She was still very confused at all that was going on. Death was supposed to be easy. This was not what she expected. "Well, I'd have to know what it is before I agreed to it." Her relaxed, unfurling enough to lazily snake its way down her leg and around her ankle. "I mean, I've not been here for that long and I'm not even sure I know what the hell I'm supposed to be doing now. I'm dead. There's no priorities."

[Chrono Blackwyng]

Mask nodded at Rigor before looking up at the Guardian. "Well, since neither of us have any idea where we're going, it would be hazardous if we stayed here where faceless run amok, but it would be nice if someone as soft as you can come with us, the person who gave you your powers might be able to explain who I am since... well mine are pretty close to yours!" he said with an unusually up-beat tone.

[Xleena]

   Xleena nodded at Jay, feeling kinda glum. She followed him up the vine ladder and sat next to Jaida, focusing on a rock covered with blood.
   Xleena thought Jaida may have found it at first- but having blood on it made her change her mind. It must have been something she called upon... thought Xleena, feeling bad for Jaida realising she didn't have the best demise. But what is a good way to die?? Xleena thought sadly, as she sat down next to Jaida, moping.

   Sicklo smiled at Mask, and looked apologetically at Rigor. 'I-I'm sorry, but I can't tell you here... I think perhaps I am already in trouble one way or the other. I'm afraid you'll just have to trust me!' Looking at the black hole portal she created she absorbed it and fired a new one out onto the pillar. 'If you can trust me.. follow me here, and Mask... i'll take you to who you wish to see eventually, just right now its not possible.' She turned her back muttering 'Even I'm intrigued about you.'

[KittKat chunky~]

Kitt watched the stone, half of it encrusted with dried crimson blood...

"where'd you get that?"

Kitt watched her lonesomly stare at the stone, in such a way as if she'd seen her own death... thinking back to his own death... fire... Kitt stared down at his paw, flames had enthralled it, orange... blue... firey and hot... looking into the flames he too saw his own death... in the burning city block, trying to pull the last civilian to safety... a single tear rolled down his cheek as with a snap of his fingers the flames disapeared, a snap and they where back.... he sat for a few minutes amusing himself by snapping and creating small balls of fire rise into the sky, twisting and dancing....

"bit depressing really... the way i died seems to be the only thing i can do here...."