In a realm beyond the known multiverse, outside space and time, there exists a world of possibility. A world where anyone from any place can go to, providing they have the means. Or if the means presents itself. Whether through multidimensional space-time vessels, random portals sprung out of nothingness, or through sheer force of will, many come to the Axis for one reason or the other. Be it seeking refuge, a chance for a fresh start, or even just a change of pace, countless travelers and lost souls have made their way to that place of wonders, eager to see such spectacles with their own eyes.

But even that could be at risk.

For the darkness is spreading.

One by one, universe after universe is falling to darkness. The state of such worlds vary. Some have been destroyed utterly. Blown to bits, sucked into a black hole, or some other horror. Others have fallen into an eternal malaise. A ruthless dictatorship spanning the whole world with no hope of salvation. An apocalypse of such magnitude that the world isn't worth living in even if it remains intact.

Either way, the result is the same.

A world with no hope. And no future.

Some say there's NEVER been hope. That no matter how much one tries and struggles, there is no way to fend off the darkness. To stave off what's coming. To make anything and everything better.

That the world isn't a fairytale.

But that's where they come in.

They can make things better. They aren't the most heroic. Or the most courageous. Some may wonder if they're even up for the task before them.

But perhaps, with a bit of luck, effort, and determination, they can set things right. And leave all the worlds and universes they come across better than when they found them.

Assuming they don't make things WORSE.

---

???

It was dark. Or had been dark. For a small group of individuals scattered across the cosmos, it was very dark. Regardless of who they were or their state of being, they had suddenly found themselves taken from wherever they had been and dropped into pure, unabated darkness within the blink of an eye. A dozen or so individuals from across the known multiverse, gathered together for only the Gods knew what purpose. And with nothing surrounding them but the murky depths of a cold, unrelenting universe.

And then the lights came on.

Suddenly, they found themselves in some sort of large room. The floor was a light grey, but the walls were like large white panels, covered with big hollowed out roundels and surrounded by massive pillars that circled the room like some strange post-modern temple. There was a large pair of doors right in front, and entrances on either side that led off into long hallways that stretched on forever. Though somehow, they got the feeling that wandering off in these circumstances was probably not the best plan.

In the center was some sort of hexagonal console. It was littered with panels and buttons, beeping lights and switches that would barely make sense to even the most seasoned technician. And right in the middle of all that was a large glass cylinder. It contained a smaller green cylinder within, but both slowly pumped up and down, up and down, giving off some loud otherwordly hum as if part of some larger organism.

Either way, they weren't in Kansas anymore.

Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around

Makato slowly and carefully walked over the panel, flipping a single switch, and wincing back in dreadful anticipation.

I can't say goodbye to yesterday…

Jo

Jo was... pretty certain they hadn't just died.

They were familiar with the feeling of death. Intimately so. No, this was something... different. More a displacement. Which was arguably more concerning, as Jo didn't know of any methods beyond science fiction that'd cause a person to suddenly change locations. But upon the lights coming on, they outright laughed.

This was just taking the piss now.

To be fair, they weren't that much interested in modern trends or culture—but this particular place had been ingrained in the one they'd claimed refuge in for longer than normal. They were no expert, but they knew a TARDIS when they saw one. They assumed this had to be some kind of dream. Or maybe they'd been poisoned, or perhaps drugged. It wasn't out of the question.

Just in case, though, they checked over themselves. Same clothes, same familiar skin, other... aspects that assured them that they were still in the same body as before. A female body, and she sighed in relief as she was assured of this. Thank god. She at least had some ties to where she'd been before. Even her clothes had come with her intact.

Which was... a relief, to say the least.

Though cautiously flicking her (strangely intense and aged) eyes over the others present in the room, she didn't acknowledge them yet—merely beelining for the console and slowly pacing all around it in an investigative fashion. She knew some people would kill to be in her shoes at that moment, and she wished that she even cared about it beyond vaguest knowledge as a result—feeling a mite guilty for not appreciating what it stood for. But from an objective standpoint, she could at least admire its beauty. Even if she was smart enough not to accidentally fiddle with the console.

bork

Makato notices Jo. He starts to shake and hyperventilate. He manages to take a few deep breaths to calm himself, but no matter how well he can hide it, he's sick to his stomach. Nobody he knows are here. He's surrounded by strangers. He then builds up the courage to say...something.

"U-um..."

I can't say goodbye to yesterday…

Carmaria

Carmaria was confused. Admittedly, this wasn't exactly shocking news. She was pretty sure anyone would be confused in her position. Last she checked, she'd been in a forest, not... whatever this place was.

Moreover, she'd been alone. She definitely wasn't alone now. She was surrounded by humans, which made her more than a little uncomfortable, given how long she'd been actively avoiding humans. They didn't have the auras of Nen users at a glance, but just in case Carmaria made sure her Ten was up. If anyone knew what she was, they might attack on sight, after all. She certainly wouldn't blame them.

With forced nonchalance, she lifted herself to her feet and cleared her throat. "Hey, uh... does anyone know where the hell we are right now?"

Wolfgang

Dark. Wolfgang wasn't bothered by it, of course - his nose and ears were good enough that he could probably have found his way - but he knew that not everyone in here was like him, so he was glad when the lights came on.

Then when he saw where they were, he was ecstatic. "Ohmigosh, it's like a space ship!"

Wolfgang hopped on the balls of his feet, his tail whooshing through the air rapidly as he excitedly paced around the room, taking in all the different smells, and matching them to faces.

His ears perked at the chimera lady's question. "I think we're in a place called the Axis. It's like... a place outside space and time. Or something. My grandma and her coven opened a portal to it by accident a little bit ago. I still don't know much about it, but I do know they were looking for people to help fight evil dark stuff."

Then Wolfgang was suddenly next to Makoto, crouching down and trying to press the top of his head into Makoto's hand. "Hey, are you ok? You look tense. You can pet me, if you want." He grinned. "Mama says I make a good therapy dog."

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

Makato looks at the dog in shock. He starts sweating bullets, his skin turning almost pink. He looks like he's about to throw up. He clears his throat a little.

"T-thanks..."

I can't say goodbye to yesterday…

???

Thankfully, Makoto's switch pressing hadn't done a thing. About the only thing it did do was cause the cylinder in the center to change color, from an ethereal green to a bright neon red.

Thank the Gods for small favours.

---

Setsuna

Setsuna had been alone. Alone in the dark depths of a small, barren cave, deep in the heart of the wilderness. It's dank caverns illuminated only by a small fire fueled by a couple small rocks and dried twigs.

She sat in the cave's far corner. Away from the fire. Away from everything. It wasn't like she needed the warmth. Even dressed only in a fur waistcloth and bandages, it wasn't like she got cold easily.

But that wasn't why she was huddled all alone in the dark, was it?

She still remembered. Remembered everything that happened. Like it was yesterday.

Because it was yesterday.

How her father had struck her. Berated her for not being what he wanted her to be. Like he always did. How she finally struck him back. How she felt about it. How she felt so incredibly proud. And so utterly terrified.

How she ran away in terror. Rushing past all the other oni as she made her way out of the village. How her mother tried to stop her, only to blurt out the truth in desperation. And how they both knew it didn't matter in the end.

How she raced away from the village, only to run into a bunch of hunters looking for someone to kill. How she had fought back, intent only on using as much force as necessary instead of giving them whatever they had coming.

And how it all went horribly wrong.

She could still remember how it felt. The blood on her lips. The sheer thrill and exhilaration at having possessed so much raw power, however briefly. How slaughtering those PATHETIC stupid hunters felt so... good.

And how she hated herself for it.

It wasn't the first time she had killed anyone. Far from it. But doing it so brutally, so callously? It felt SO GODDAMN RIGHT wrong somehow.

And yet, she was sure that most other oni wouldn't feel the same way.

Was that what she wanted to be? Someone who would do something like that and... enjoy it?

HELL YES!!!''

Hell no.

Fuck. She couldn't keep sitting there forever. She needed to hit something. Or eat something.

Maybe hit and eat something.

She was rather hungry.

Opening her eyes, she sat up, picked up her club, and... noticed she wasn't where she thought she was.

The fire was gone. The cave was gone. Instead, she was in some strange, weird room, with a bunch of fuckers she had never met before. Her first instinct was to slam down her club and get everyone to back the hell off. She didn't know who those people were. Some of them didn't even look human or yokai. All she knew was that she wasn't going to let these people hurt... hurt... hurt...

And then she saw the pupper.

Okay. It wasn't your normal pupper. It was standing on two legs for one thing. But...

...it was so damn cute!

For the moment, all reason and rage and everything else had left her. She leapt over to Wolfgang, squeeing like a schoolgirl as she squeezed him tight before petting his head in glee.. "WHO'S A GOOD PUPPER?! WHO'S A GOOD PUPPER?! YOU ARE, YES YOU ARE, YES YOU ARE!"

She barely noticed anything or anyone else around her. Not that it mattered.

Puppers trumped all.

Edited by kkhohoho on Oct 2nd 2020 at 12:06:13 PM

Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around

Makato has calmed down significantly. He's still stressed, but not on the verge of throwing up. He takes a couple deep breaths (again) and asks Setsuna something that's on everyone's mind.

"Um...w-who are you?"

Edited by Risdio51 on Oct 2nd 2020 at 1:12:59 PM

I can't say goodbye to yesterday…

Carmaria

Okay, maybe she had been a little quick to categorize everyone here as humans. The wolf-thing and the horned woman almost certainly were not human. They didn't quite look like Chimera Ants either, even though Chimera Ants barely resembled each other in the first place, and they were clearly fully intelligent, so... she had no idea what was up with them. At least she didn't stand out as much as she thought?

Also, probably more importantly, they were in a place outside space and time? How? Why? Why her? It was true that nobody would miss her, but...

"New question, how did we get here? The last thing I remember is falling asleep like any other night." Best to leave out any details of who she was or where she was from for now.

Jo

At any rate, more were waking up. Hmm. Some idiot had flicked something on the console, and Jo had almost slapped them for it. But upon seeing nothing change apart from a difference in glow, she sighed in relief and settled for a pointed glare in their direction. That could've killed them, for all they knew!

“Do me a favour, mates? Could you keep it down a little? It's really hard to think with you all yammering on,” she stated—though at this point she was only talking directly to Setsuna. “Name's Jo, if you're wondering. No, I've got no bloody clue what's going on either. Just as lost as you. ”

The strange werewolf creature seemed to have some indication as to what was going on, but Jo was too wary to press the matter. She still looked far more interested in the console than she did any of them.

bork

Kyle

Waking up was not what Kyle expected to be doing after that last attack on the Goddess. He'd have expected to end up eaten or killed or something...though maybe this was hell. It had taken him a bit longer to wake up than the girls who seemed to be talking here. Kyle groaned and started to get back up, thinking back to what happened. The swarm of monstrosities filling the skies, his companions falling one by one, and then...that brat went human bomb or something and cut open some kind of hole in the world.

Rineia got sucked into it, and due to Kyle's proximity he too got dragged back into it. He remembered Lathlia's words before she was dispersed "Could this be...the gate to the Gods' Realm...?"

This was probably not that. Immediately Kyle went ahead and checked if everything was intact. He checked his sword, still there and still what he remembered, and then he pulled off his leather glove on his left hand. The ornate black circle-and-blades tattoo that marked his covenant with Lathlia was still there and undamaged. Which meant...

So, we are not dead, despite our suicide mission against the Goddess.

Do you know if the others are...

The only one who I detected as alive before the fall was the child. Bless his heart for going through with this.

Brat he may be, but at least he's—-

I must end our telepathic communications to restore my energy. After the wounds suffered during the fight with Rineia, I am afraid my time of restoration might be long indeed.

Kyle wordlessly nodded, accepting and then looking around. He breathed and approached the girls currently talking among themselves. Quietly Kyle examined the table and crossed his arms, trying to ascertain what this place was.

Sign on for this After The End Fantasy RP.

Wolfgang

It seemed these people didn't know about the Axis. Did that mean the Axis had taken them here without asking? What did that mean for the worlds they left behind? Little Wolf knew he was willing to help, but he didn't know if the others would be.

His thoughts were interrupted by an enormous, horned woman scooping him up like a child. Anyone else might have been upset at that. Little Wolf couldn't help but grin, his tail gently thudding against Setsuna's leg as he hugged her back, licking her face in excitement and laughing.

"I'm a good puppy!" He said happily. Then he registered Makoto's question, and though it wasn't aimed at him, he figured it would only be polite to introduce himself. "My name's Wolfgang, but everyone calls me Little Wolf. It's nice to meet new friends."

What is so amusing about this? Why do you take lives? How can you forget?

Setsuna

"YES YOU ARE! YES YOU ARE! YES YOU—"

And then someone had the gall to tell her to quiet the hell down.

Seriously?

No-one told her what to do.

Not anymore.

She was done with that shit.

Makoto's question barely registered. Instead, she dropped Wolfgang on the ground, looking Jo straight in the eyes. "Well excuse me for yammering! You're not the only stuck in this place, ya know! I... I..."

...

Oh forget it.

It wasn't like she was insulting her or trying to attack her or anything.

What was even the point?

Still pissed her off though.

She turned towards Makoto. "Sorry. Name's Setsuna. Not sure what I'm doing here. Or what the hell any of this shit is. Don't even know where we are."

Though it was still better than where she had been. Cold, alone, and miserable. Stuck in a cave in the wilderness. No family. No friends. No future.

At least here she had company.

Even if she didn't deserve it.

Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around

Nancy Weaver—Awaken My Masters Friends

"So this is...the Axis," Nancy observed reluctantly to herself, crossing her arms as her unease managed to summon Seamstress.

Her Stand cast a shadow over the walls, of a ghostly and vaguely feminine humanoid figure in a ballgown with two of its (eight!) hands on Nancy's shoulders. It loomed over its User protectively, and though a blindfold covered its eyes, it seemed to look down upon all present quite menacingly despite Nancy's nonthreatening demeanor. "Hmm...?" it hummed curiously.

As Nancy realized that there was no threat, she hurriedly dismissed her Stand, which seemed to fade away just as quickly as it had appeared. She noticed one other person looking quite unsure of what was going on, and approached the stranger, who was Kyle.

"You look...confused," she noted. "Is it alright if I stand with you? It might help you feel better."

Edited by JumpingFruit on Oct 2nd 2020 at 11:40:36 AM

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

Kyle

Kyle listened to Setsuna share her confusion and irritation, and he guessed she was the angry and explosive type. He could relate. It seemed wherever they were it was some place called the Quantum Axis going by what the little wolf-guy had said. At least it wasn't wherever Rineia had come from. He did however wonder where in the world the bitch-goddess had fallen off.

Then he looked to his side and saw someone come over. Looked like his kind of girl from back when he was just a reasonably normal guy from Earth. Before all this crazy business with the other world. Before Lathlia, before Covenants, before the crazy fucks he ended up working with, and before Rineia fucked his life over...

Kyle breathed, and shook his head, "I'm fine. My name's Kyle. I...just fell in here after fighting a goddess."

Sign on for this After The End Fantasy RP.

"I'm Makoto..."

I can't say goodbye to yesterday…

Nancy Weaver—Serial Killer Killer

"Sounds...about right," Nancy nodded, Seamstress nodding along behind her before fading away when Nancy looked over her shoulder. "I just accidentally helped to kill a serial killer who was using an explosive cat plant as a weapon. And...I'm just glad that the cat is okay."

"Don't...don't think too much about that. He was a Stand User. Things are always weird with Stand Users," she continued, starting to babble from sheer nervousness and consciousness of just how bizarre the situation was. "I mean, even I'm not immune to that description, so...sorry, I suppose." Seamstress appeared to give a nonchalant shrug, but when Nancy looked over her shoulder again, she found nothing there. "My name...is Nancy Weaver, though."

Edited by JumpingFruit on Oct 2nd 2020 at 11:40:58 AM

I wear the skin of the Elder Things, having come unto my own.

Roon

The last thing that Roon could remember was rushing over the waves desperate to find anyone she knew and head back to the port with them, but each minute that passed left her still alone, and maybe she was the only living being left in the world a fact she refused to acknowledge at all.

Suddenly she was engulfed in absolute darkness, so dark it was as if her eyes had ceased to exist in an instant. A few minutes passed and then light and color returned once more to her, showing her a strange room with humans in it, and also some decidedly not-human people.

Hearing the others introducing themselves to each other Roon stood up from where she had been sitting and said with a smile, "I am the Ironblood cruiser Roon, it's nice to meet you all. Do any of you know what this place is? The last thing I remember is being out on the ocean searching for my friends and then darkness"

"I...was in this place called 'Tartarus'....doing work for SEES...and..."

I can't say goodbye to yesterday…

Jo

“Not much to say about what I was doing. Pretty sure I was pissed, actually... given I've got a headache now...” Jo mused, not flinching at Setsuna's retort but seeming to glance down regardless in slight guilt. “That 'appens a lot, I'll be fair. But what I wanna know is if we're in some kinda Doctor Who fanboy's wet dream or whatever this Axis place is s'posed to be. 'Cause all I'm seeing right now is a TARDIS thingy and some weird folk.”

She gestured to them vaguely, before lightly shrugging her shoulders.

“No offense. But the place I come from isn't as... colourful as you lot look.”

Edited by Enirboreh on Oct 2nd 2020 at 9:02:35 AM

bork

Makoto simply sighs and puts his hands in his pockets, slumping his head a little.

"N-none taken...I suppose..."

I can't say goodbye to yesterday…

Setsuna

"'Tartarus'? Ain't that some sort of creepy underworld prison? With ghosts and a three-headed dog and stuff?"

Truth be told, she wouldn't mind the dog.

Dogs were cute.

But the only Tartarus she ever heard of was from a few foreigners wandering the countryside. Other lands had their own Gods and demons, and their own afterlives and underworlds to go with them. She didn't know jackshit about most of them, and the only thing she did know was she had a better chance of going to any old underworld than the alternative.

Besides. That's where someone... some thing like her belonged.

Not that it mattered. Where she came from, there was only one afterlife. Didn't matter if you were good or bad. That's where you went. No great paradise. No living hell. Just... existence.

She didn't know if that was better or worse.

"And 'SEES'? Sees what? The only I'm seeing is this hunk of junk and your own sad self. I mean, no offense. But you're kind of, I don't know, mopey?"

Then again, she wasn't one to talk.

Being pissed half the time wasn't much better than being mopey.

...

Gods did she hate her life.

Doctor Who — Long Way Around: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13536044/1/Doctor-Who-Long-Way-Around

Makoto...just stood there.

"I am mopey. But if you went through what I've went through, you'd be mopey too. As for S.E.E.S., it's...a group, that I shouldn't have mentioned."

I can't say goodbye to yesterday…

Mason

You know, in hindsight, being shredded by a black hole wasn’t as terrible as he thought it would be. Really the worst part about it was the dark, red skinned monster that lifted him by his hair and lifted him. Effortlessly, he laughed and shook him-

“I will give you this, human...you were fun...so I’ll give you a present, a quick death!”

-And Mason Itakari found himself thrown through the air towards the billowing maw of the Black hole that had gathered and formed in the sky, the wicked winds and Evolts laugh being the only thing he heard as he felt his body start to compress, contort, and for a moment the agony was unbearable-

...

-so imagine his surprise when the unconscious silver haired teen, wearing the bright white scientists coat and a strange red and blue belt shot up to sitting up, and screaming bloody murder, hands reaching up and digging their way into his hair.

A solid 4 seconds of blood curdling screams ended when he realized he still WAS. Eyes wide and panicked, heart hammering in his chest and breathing like it was his last, his hands slowly lowered and he looked at them, noting how violently he was shaking.

Taking another deep breath, he touched his face, neck, torso, legs, his breathing growing more and more panicked and relieved.

“I’m...I'm alive...?”

Is it selfish that I'm happy as we pass the setting sun?