Lahmu Keep

[Bloodedge]

Established in Guildford, UK, the headquarters of game corporation Industrial Illusions was mysteriously established overnight at the former location of Guildford Castle. Constructed by founder and CEO of Industrial Illusions, Albertus Animusphere, Lahmu Keep has become the cornerstone of gaming innovation while being the point of origin for Age of Eternity, a game that has gone above and beyond even the laws of reality.

The story begins with a single young man with no history in this world, who appeared abruptly and somehow erected a castle from ruins one night. Albertus Animusphere took on a journey that would change the world. . .

[Apollymi]

Guildford was such an interesting place. A man full of eccentrities had appeared in a place home to schools, farmlands and old abandoned castles and homesteads of the European Elite. One such person, was a young girl of an apparently well-known background. She'd recently transferred in from a private school, to attend one in the area. Her lineage traced back to Queen Eleanor and she was aptly named in that queen's honor. Oleana Tyrell was a good student, clever and well-kept. She heard of this strange man, but none from around had ever actually laid eyes upon him. He was something of a ghost story to the young at heart like them. And currently, he was apparently traveling. That castle he'd renovated something strange to look at from the outside. They were supposed to take a trip to see it, something arranged by their school and now, they were being told it was no longer open for public viewing. How strange. Perhaps, she'd have a different kind of look some other time. He was according to some rumors planning to run some sort of business out of it. Or at least that was what his building and rennovation permits said. That was all a matter of public record. And the school children visited a nearby brewery instead of the castle... Oh well...

At the same time, in Japan there was a young woman casually approaching her thirties. She was a young divorcee who hadn't had her first marriage work out. A man had married her for her 'exotic' looks, and had four children by her only to leave her for the next pretty young thing more suited to his needs. Of course, she was embittered by that situation, but she wasn't exactly hideous. She was now post the births of several children a curvy young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. They were sharp and her form was rather large. She'd only recently stopped breast feeding and in Japan it was the middle of winter. Even so, she only wore a sweater, leggings and large white hat. She seemed to be a fashionable individual, well-paid after her divorce. But she'd become a tough outer shell compared to other people. She'd even taken it upon herself to go back to using her maiden name Kujaku, her given name, Meron. Kujaku Meron was looked upon by her contemporaries with raised brows and sympathy. But she never let it get to her. She walked with cold confidence everywhere, and she'd never let anyone think less of her because of the situation surrounding her life. Her husband had left her, taking her children and making her a laughing stock. For the town she lived in, she was seen as 'damaged goods' and couldn't pick up a another permanent engagement without having to make major concessions. She'd never settle. She'd find what was right for her, and have some fun in between. Here and now she was sitting at a hotel bar in Tokyo, away from her home so she could meet some people, mingle with young professionals who didn't know anything about her, and perhaps meet a good man.

[Bloodedge]

It had been about sixteen years since a strange man suddenly appeared in Guildford. For all those years, he experienced the strangest dreams nightly. He saw a world not filled with technology, but with magic and power. So... he'd truly gone to the wrong version of the world after it split into segments. Sadly, it seemed a plan from long ago hadn't worked out. Sixteen years ago was not the first time he'd been here. No, he first arrived on this planet many thousands of years before, choosing to reincarnate himself over the ages. The worlds should have become one again since then. Alas, that was not the case in this era either.

Luckily for him, his reincarnation spell had a stipulation attached to it. He had once been the great Creator Anshar, paired to the equally-renowned Kishar. Thousands and thousands of years before he appeared again, he spoke a specific set of words. Those words were to create the condition for his rebirth. Those words were to ensure he regained stability after reincarnation. Those words were to let him help reconnect the versions of Earth, that all might benefit from it. Those words were...

Let us become Impure Anshar.

With this incantation, he had been reborn as Albertus Animusphere, an anagram of the mantra itself. It was with white hair that he spawned this time, and he kept it slightly parted with bangs swept down. He was clean-shaven for the time being. His features were conventionally masculine, yet he was considered handsome by any who gazed upon him. In age, something this world seemed to think was important, he was currently passing himself off as 31. Such was how he appeared after creating Lahmu Keep. A decision had been made. Albertus Animusphere had come to understand this world and its take on achieving fantastical things. This thing called video games had become very popular, so... he'd make the other world he dreamed of as one of those. To do that, there was apparently no better place for him to find the means and understanding than Tokyo, Japan.

Albertus traveled to Tokyo in search of knowledge, and he gained much. He wasn't going to waste a trip on business alone though─ not while there was so much enjoyment to be had in a world still so new to him. With that being the case, it was only natural that Albertus found himself drinking at the first bar he could find. There he was, hanging out in some hotel bar with a tall glass of liquor in his hand, his feet propped up onto a table, and a constant flow of more liquors toward the table. Apparently, Albertus had no need of money. He'd created something for himself called a... credit card. Whatever it was, he made one that was always accepted despite a lack of whatever currency was demanded of him for things. Exchange in this world was odd, but they at least had some excellent drink options. So, what was he to do other than purchase rounds for every inhabitant of the bar? That was only the best decision to further his own enjoyment.

[Apollymi]

Here in a Tokyo Hotel bar, Meron was drinking her sorrows away and trying to be personable. Of course, that was quite difficult as the more she drank the more she seemed to find herself thinking about those moments from her past which shaped her into the person she was now. Those feelings of hers were still raw, it was still quite early for her. Only a couple of years had passed since her husband decided to leave her. Their bitter divorce, had been quick, efficient and devastating. She could still remember the man she'd fallen in love with, and birthed four children for, walking into the door of their mansion. He called held a small meeting in his office with his lawyer, nothing out of the ordinary and then he'd called her in. She could still see the look on his face as he pushed papers across the desk. His lawyer had stood behind him, quietly giving her sympathetic eyes as he'd explained the terms of their divorce. She would sign the papers, she would hand over custody of all four of her children, she would sign a non-contact agreement and in exchange she'd be given one of the fully paid for properties, one of the vacation homes and a monthly stipend for the rest of her life. This was all. She remembered in the moment looking aghast why would she agree to give up her children? Why did he even want to leave her? How long had he been planning these actions? Forever apparently. He'd gotten her to fall in love with him and marry him as part of his grand scheme. He needed heirs to train to run his business and he needed them to come from someone he could guarantee the faithfulness of. Their romance had been a public affair, spread across news outlets. Even the births of their children had been highly publicized. But all of this was simply to make him look better in the public eye. He was already spinning it for his image. Making it seem as if he'd decided to release her from her obligations, how he'd taken custody of his children to ingratiate them into the family business so his former young wife could still have prospects for life without the added responsibility. They would talk about how generous he had been...

It was shit. So here she sat, drinking away her stipend. Wondering if she'd just become ugly to him, fat? Was she ever even actually the kind of woman he'd wanted? She couldn't actually know any of that information. Instead she'd been consuming unfathomable amounts of alcohol. But what was this? This particular hotel seemed to be full of young people, brimming with life and excitement. For instance, a man just caught her attention once more... not directly but instead by ordering drinks for everyone. Her own was refreshed as she sat by her eyes turning towards the man who'd been responsible. Actually, she'd not really noticed but he was quite attractive. Legitimately masculine which was pretty hard to come by in modern times. And for the first time since she arrived she managed a smile, raising her glass in his direction to thank him as others cheered amusedly. She'd begin nursing this drink as well. What a strange outing this one was.

[Bloodedge]

In paying the price for everyone in this building to consume this magical water called alcohol, it went without saying that Albertus received a great many looks, nods, waves and... very interesting gazes from various patrons. This money thing was apparently important enough that humans appreciated having things given to them for free. How very strange. Whatever the case, he enjoyed the atmosphere created by such a simple gesture. His glass rose multiple times as he returned all sorts of attention. This included, of course, a very downtrodden-looking woman with proportions the likes of his own people. She in particular seemed to be in a very strange predicament. She smiled at him, but it was an act that followed sullenness. How could anyone be that way while consuming such a wondrous beverage?

Obviously, she needed more. She was a fair bit meatier than most other women in this region of the world; maybe the effects hadn't kicked in yet? He'd take care of that. "Oi oi!" he called out to the bar. With the bartender's attention, he pointed in that woman's direction before spinning his finger to suggest that rounds keep flowing toward her. "This is a party now. Nobody should have a reason to be sad until we've run out of this good stuff." Albertus' words were to no one in particular, though they were heard by few. He was an Englishman in this world, yet he strangely spoke Japanese as if it was the only language he knew. In truth, he could speak every language as flawlessly. Traveling had yet to become an issue for the male. Now, with drinks for everyone and a specific order to keep one woman's glass full constantly, Albertus downed what may have been his tenth full glass of the night. All of these drinks should have existed in the original world. He was becoming particularly fond of something called whiskey, and gestured toward his most recent glass for a refill after slamming it onto the counter. "Ahh~! Sorry to everyone else, but if we run out of this one, it's probably my fault!" he shouted to the other patrons.

[Apollymi]

Meron had returned to her drinking seemingly without care, but she couldn't quite take her eyes off that man who'd been so generous with the entirety of the bar. Perhaps, he'd just struck some big stock deal? Perhaps he'd just sold the next big idea to the highest bidder? Perhaps he'd just been born filthy rich and this was how he amused himself? Regardless of how they got here, it was an absolute fact that they were now all drinking on him and what was this... He'd pointed to her and told the bartender to keep up the drinks. Was he flirting with her? Maybe, or perhaps he was just being friendly.

No. She couldn't really think that. Not with him taking note of her emotional state and commenting on it so boldly. This little move of his had to be pointed right? "It most certainly is a party with you being so kind. Thank you~" she mentioned allowing her glass to flow with a bit more ease. Of course, she was drinking just to make herself feel better, far be it from her to ruin anyone else's mood. And what was this, he was making a claim in advance that he was sorry about a drink being missing for everyone else as he claimed for himself another refill. She sat at the end of the bar looking towards him a bit astounded. He'd definitely been inside this place for a while. "I don't know what you're celebrating, but you're going to have to slow down a bit or you won't know either~" she teased gently. Ah, when was the last time she had something nice to say to anyone? Obviously this man had no idea who she was, perhaps then, she could have a chat with someone... like when she was still young with a bright future ahead of her? She seemed quite amused at her own statement, having made her way through about half of her drink of choice, a dry gin, with the base juniper berry flavor and ginger. Strangely, as most would say she was drinking it straight, with the bartender stopping by to fill her glass when it was found empty. She was already starting to feel that deep heat within her chest, with her sinuses also being rather open, she was surprised she'd not already become a drunken crying mess. But... the night was still young.

[Bloodedge]

Much to his potential future entertainment, Albertus was addressed directly by the oddly depressive woman at the bar. She agreed that this was a party, as all present should. What else could anyone call a chance to drink such a fine creation? Albertus was elated just to relish in the experience. "That's the spirit!" he said in the most casual manner.

He had indeed been in this bar for quite some time. Of course, the amount of time he spent drinking was of no consequence to the man himself. He was quite sure being intoxicated for the rest of time would pose no real issues, though... he also didn't know there were issues to be expected. That woman seemed to know, however. She spoke again for the sake of warning Albertus. She gave council that he'd forget what he was celebrating if he didn't slow down. That particular note was a curious one. "Fat chance!" he replied. "Who says I'm celebrating? When there's a drink like this, the drink itself is cause for celebration. You tried this whiskey? It's great!" he said. Halfway through his next glass, Albertus held up the rest of his serving and shook it lightly. There was a light clinking of ice against glass as he sloshed hard liquor around inside, seeming to have the rest of his half-drank glass on offer. Albertus was giddy as a schoolgirl for reasons he couldn't possibly explain. He hadn't been expecting anyone to address him directly; that was a rather uncommon occurrence in his lives thus far. Alas, he was apparently a very accepting individual. That woman could take a drink directly from his own glass, and he'd think nothing of it. Surely the drink he found so incredible would do something toward fixing her sullen mood, right?

[Apollymi]

Fat chance, this was all this man had to say about forgetting his reason for celebrating. He'd move on from this point, even questioning the act of celebrating. Truly he was quite the spirited individual, and Meron couldn't say she didn't enjoy that personality of his. Even so, he seemed quite young in a strange way, though he didn't look it, he had the outlook of someone in their early twenties. Just happy and moving drinking without cause and offering people his drink even. He was playing fast and loose with his alcohol, like he'd never had a hangover. "That zest for life says it's a celebration," she said happily. Ah, but there was that offer on the table to her, she had something to say to that as well... perhaps he wasn't yet aware of the potential dangers, or maybe he was making light of them?

"I've tried whiskey before," she said with a smirk. "Though you aren't supposed to mix dark and clear liquor," she said as if it was a simple matter of fact. "Basically, if I drink that and this... I'll forget today," she mused. "Though, that might not be a bad idea~" ah, there was a hidden little gripe there as bit of sass in her soul. She took that extended glass and had a quick sip. Oh, that burned extra from what she was already drinking. Well, a quick second sip would fix that but also directly contribute to her particular long-lived missing memory. "That is admittedly pretty good. Thank you again, are you really not celebrating anything?" she asked seemingly curious. She might as well forget her moping for a few minutes and have an entertaining conversation with a friendly stranger who was buying her drinks.

[Bloodedge]

Apparently, Albertus gave the impression that he was celebrating. He supposed there was some viability to that assumption. To be more realistic, Albertus was celebrating... but any celebration he enjoyed was simply because he had these drinks available in spades at the time. "Then I guess I'm celebrating the drinks," he said as if drinking in celebration of drinking was perfectly normal. As far as he was concerned, that was a totally reasonable thing to do.

The woman insisted that dark and clear liquors weren't to be mixed. Albertus couldn't fathom why. He'd been drinking some of each all day, and this wasn't the first day he'd done so in this life. The male even appeared visibly confused by the thought, but that didn't seem to matter. Even in claiming she would forget today if she drank whiskey, the woman further mused that it may not be a bad idea. She approached his table and took his glass, taking a tentative sip of the dark liquid... right before taking another. Ah, good. Even though she had whiskey before, there was no reason to avoid having a little extra now, right? "There ya' go. That oughta fix whatever's going on with you. Can't be too down if you're off your rocker, right?" he questioned, seeming to believe his own every word. As for the question of his celebration, Alberturs took a moment to think. It was during such a time that he picked up another glass of something dark. One sip deep, and he'd give the most accurate answer he had in mind. "I'm not, but I am. You could say I'm not from around here. There are a lot of things new to me, and I'm just taking it all in. New day, new experiences, new... everything. Ever stop to think that it might even be worthwhile to celebrate the sun rising tomorrow? Even if the clouds block it, you could celebrate sleeping the night before. I've heard a lot of things these past few years. Life is short, life is long... nobody's getting it right. Life is awesome as long as you let it be. I didn't even get that myself until recently, but now that I do... well, here I am~"

With that little speech given, Albertus raised his glass in a toast to both everything and nothing at all. There was a glint in his eye as his gaze shifted toward the unknown woman, and a strange smile on his face that was almost fatherly in its warmth. "So then, what's bugging you?"

[Apollymi]

Celebrating drinks. That would earn this man another smile and one of those short lived little chuckles. He was funny after all, and even while feeling like she was, Meron wasn't a complete spoil sport. Moving on from that point, she'd taken up this man's glass and had a sip or two after which he went about giving her an important lesson on how she could only feel so bad if she was intoxicated. "Yes, that is sort of the idea. Bars exist at least partly for such reasons~" she mused. She'd come here to avoid being alone in her house on a day like today, given this it was all but understood the importance of being able to drink until ones heart, belly, mind, and soul were content.

But that wasn't all. Meron moved to join this man as he had more to say and was seemingly good company. There was no point in them sitting separately if he was going to be so full of mirth and cheer. She could use a bit of both in her life right now if she was being honest. But in addition to those intangible things, this man also came with some solid life advice. The kind she expected came from a life well lived and not just hitting the books or following a single goal or purpose. He claimed the sunrise tomorrow might be worth celebrating even if one couldn't see it. How strange. "Those are some oddly pointed words. It sounds pretty optimistic and hm..." she seemed to have lost a bit of her thoughts concerning what he'd mentioned. "Worldly. Yes, I'll go with that one. I think it's a rather interesting way to be, if I am being honest," she said. Perhaps if her former partner had taken a more broad approach to life, she'd not now be saying goodbye to her twenties while having nothing but material goods to show for it, in a society that didn't necessarily look kindly upon that.

Whatever the case, this man presently in her company was raising his glass, it was only polite if she raised hers as well. She'd go back to sipping, until of course it was rendered empty. Soon after, she was sitting hands in her lap only to look towards this rather kindly gentleman his question catching her off-guard. Most wouldn't approach a subject of someone's personal life so casually. And any around here who read the news even knew her face well enough to know exactly what had happened with her, even if they didn't realize how her current drinking habits manifested. How would she explain what was 'bugging' her as he put it? Well, first and foremost she'd be claiming a new glass. "That... is a loaded question," she said taking a sip. Hm, there is one way to explain that maybe wouldn't make the conversation very difficult to have. "I'm celebrating a birthday, not my own." A simple answer, evasive but technically direct, to a loaded question. It was her son's tenth birthday and she hadn't seen him since he was eight. So, every year on the birthday of all of her children, she came to bars in the city, had drinks with strangers, before wandering home drunk, so she didn't have to live in the quiet of her house, with phone calls that would never come and the quiet sympathy of her neighbors weighing down on her soul.

[Bloodedge]

Oh? Bars existed for the sake of providing unconditional happiness to all goers. Even the downtrodden could know joy in the face of intoxication; Albertus had quickly become a believer in that. With that, and with a silent toast to follow an oddly-pointed speech, Albertus was right back to downing glass after glass. Humans didn't even drink water with the ease he showed consuming hard liquor, yet Albertus himself could hardly tell a difference between the two. This drink was just far more delicious, and had one hell of a side-effect to boot.

According to the woman whose name he'd yet to learn, he was... worldly? That was a laughable notion; she didn't know the half of it. "That might be the first time I've heard that. But, if it works, why not? I'll take it," he mused between gulps. Casual discussion was not a thing he'd been exposed to very much since appearing in this world. Even so, it was quickly growing on him. There was something peculiar about this woman. It seemed almost as if he was connected to her in some way he wasn't connected to any other human in this world. Could she have been the one at the other end of his reincarnation? No, surely he didn't accidentally create this world's equivalent of a divine, right? Maybe it was time to take a few things into consideration. . .

That time would come shortly. For now, there was a question hanging in the air. What had the woman down this night, was the celebration of a birthday not her own. What could that have meant? It was surely something beyond Albertus' understanding. From what he knew, the annual recurrence of the date one was born on had become a thing of joy in this world. "Huh? I thought those things were happy here. Does this area not like aging or something?"

[Apollymi]

This man she was with, seemed to vibrant and full of life. Meron almost couldn't explain his level of expressionism. He was pleased by being called worldly. He was excited by the simple existence of alcohol to drink. It was such a strange thing to take in. If she knew no better, she'd assume he'd been some sort of shut-in, or some kind of extra sheltered student maybe? He seemed to be quite intelligent and very understanding of things. She liked that about him too.

Ah, but they were drinking and talking. And in talking she'd confessed to a birthday being the thing she was celebrating while being so downtrodden. This man seemed to understand birthdays and not why such a thing could be sad. His reasoning was solid enough but her story came with a bit more nuances than that. "I think the matter of aging would only be a problem if it were my own birthday. I'm not young anymore and here, it would most definitely be frowned upon," she said in a gentle explanation of Japanese culture. Another sip this one quite a bit longer. There was no real point in beating around the bush completely. She hadn't even truly intended to be coy after all... she just didn't want to bog down anyone else's mood. But the more she drank, the warmer her chest got and the more inclined she felt to opening her mouth to speak, even if it was just a few words about a situation most were already familiar with. "Birthdays for children however, are happy occasions. I'd probably be happier still... if it was something I could celebrate with the young man of the hour, but I'm not invited. And I never will be..." she said, a casual shrug to follow. How strange, normally confessing such a thing would have led her to tears, here and now she just found the bottom of another glass instead. "And so you have me in your company tonight, for whatever that is worth," she said as she placed that glass down. That was an oddly frank confession, she didn't know what her company was worth anymore, but this man was worth all the distracting conversation in the world to keep her from finding the bottom of the well of pity and sorrow she managed to fall into, each time one of these occasions passed.

[Bloodedge]

Upon hearing that this woman wasn't young anymore, Albertus seemed even more confused. He'd seen aged mortals many times over. Their flesh sagged from bone, the bones themselves became feeble, and the light of life slowly dimmed in their eyes. This human had none of those features, so he was admittedly at a loss for understanding. He also couldn't fathom why aging was something frowned upon. "What? Are you telling me you're old? And that's a bad thing here?" he expressed.

She took a longer swig of liquor, so he did the same. It was obviously no matter of sorrow-drowning for him, but he wouldn't waste an opportunity. Apparently, this woman had a son whose birthday celebration she could not attend. It wasn't that she had other arrangements or anything of the sort. It seemed she simply wasn't allowed to take part. "So you have a kid who doesn't want you at his party? Kids can be like that sometimes, but... it's not the kid's idea, huh?" he questioned, seeming to have gained a certain amount of understanding from small amounts of context. "Bummer," he added. With that said, a gesture to the bartender had a round of doubles coming their way. Albertus himself was happy as could be, but one of the two obviously needed a bit more. "So we're both alone and separated from family. I can't visit my kids either. I'm not disallowed, but... it's complicated. I hear they say misery loves company, but what's the point of being miserable about it? It's not good for a parent to be too attached to their children anyway. People like us should just live life as it happens. Eventually, the kids will come back to you by their own choice. I could be finding a way to my kids right now, but... they'll be fine. So, I'll just keep partying. What about you?"

[Apollymi]

This man was really interesting. Judging by his general talkativeness and lack of the normally presented boundaries, she knew he wasn't from this country originally. She figured at the bare minimum he came from somewhere west of here. And it was only further confirmed by his questions regarding aging. Not only would that have been considered a rude type of thing to question, but in this place, it was obvious when one could fell short of the expectations of society and in general you'd be shunned for it. "Well, I will not fall into my grave in a year or anything. But I am old enough that I should be married by this point and I am not. It was a really public thing so everyone from around the town I live in knows and... I find myself coming to the city to gain some anonymity," she mused as she drank. "You definitely aren't from here though... no one here would ask those sorts of questions~" she teased but she truly had no problem answering his questions. Surely this was better than those who danced on eggshells around her, only to give her pitying looks and talk about her as soon as she was out of earshot.

Ah, the complexity of her situation wasn't completely lost upon this man, but its greater details were missing. Even so, he was apologetic, having some rather kind words to offer, even though she'd not revealed everything. "Ah, if it was simply his idea wouldn't be so bad. I did not expect to coddle him too much or anything like that," she stated. Independence was important in children, leaving them to their own devices as they got older showed them coping mechanisms and the ability to problem solve. "I should also say I have four children and two of them probably won't even be old enough to know I was their mother," she clarified the nature of her current level of discontent. She would have been satisfied just to say that, and drown the rest of her drink, but something interesting was being said.

He understood her situation a bit because he also couldn't be with his children at the moment. He wasn't being kept from them but his own situation was complicated. She could imagine. She supposed he did look more mature, she wondered if he had older children and they were simply content to live their lives without him. Late teenagers tended to get their own apartments and the like here. But what was the point of harping over her lost children. "I suppose there isn't much point in it. But I hardly know what to do with myself most of the time... I had a small child, two toddlers and an infant, it wasn't like I knew things that didn't involve them. Besides, the most likely scenario says they will be told I am dead and they'll never have the desire to look for me," she said giving it a bit of thought. "I'm not sure how to party or let it go if I am being honest. I always end up in one of these places on their birthday to avoid the emptiness of it," she finished. Truly her life had been all about her children and while that might not have been the healthiest option, most people didn't have to deal with an empty nest until their kids grew up. And they had their partners and hobbies to carry them through the emptiness, the hope of the future grandchildren and the like to fill their homes again. As it stood, she was a 30ish, divorcee with no husband to show for the eleven years she'd spent birthing children and being a homemaker. Of course, birthdays and holidays... the times she was previously busiest were the worst for her to experience now.

"So then, what does a fellow empty nester find himself doing for fun? Surely, coming to bars to chat up depressed ex-housewives is not the most interesting part of your day~" Ah, there it was again, like a shallow defense a mask which drew attention away from herself and back to casual conversation topics. Like she truly didn't intend to dwell or make anyone feel as bad as she did. Perhaps this was why none ever had a kind word to share, she always managed a light smile and cordial conversation, despite the fact that she felt quite broken and empty inside.

[Bloodedge]

Ah, this woman's matter of age had nothing to do with the years she spent alive. Instead, it had everything to do with the societal structure of this world, humans enforcing asinine rules on each other and the like. She should have been paired with another by their standards, but it was no longer so. Had she not done her duty? She spoke of having four children, which was a greater number than even he managed... and he was called a God of Creation in the original world. "You had four children. Instead of expecting more out of you, others should be raving about what you've already done. I only had a pair of twins," he stated. There was more, of course. The woman sought anonymity in bars and such during times of lost celebration. That alone was almost sinful. She accomplished only hiding, never striving for something more.

A youngling, two with names, and one yet to grow into its Source. That was about how Albertus quantified the children she listed in terms of this world. Realistically, her situation wasn't so odd at all. It was nothing strange in the old world to leave children alone once they were off the teat, but... time changed all things. "Some might not know about you, but the beauty of life is in its stories. The oldest will remember you. The youngest will hear from the oldest, and their curiosity will take over eventually. Don't sweat it," he insisted. The problem here was that her entire life had been dedicated to her children. That was no way to exist. Each generation was to be allowed reliance on the former, but the amount of codependency this woman spoke of would be good for no one─ least of all herself. The way he saw it, she set herself up to feel this emptiness one way or another. Perhaps the short lifespan of humankind made it easier overall, as they barely had time to suffer the loss in their later years. Even then, Albertus could not entertain that sort of living.

Worse still, the divorcee spoke of him instead of continuing about herself. Was that all part of her method? Constantly running, but getting nowhere was the state of this human. The question now was whether he'd take the proverbial bait, or turn things around again. Well... maybe he'd do both. "For fun, me? Well today, I stopped by a bar to do some prep before checking out one of those clubs nearby. I just happened to run into a depressed ex-housewife who's running away from everything, but not to anything. Right now, I'm thinking it'd be fun to make sure she knows a better way." As he spoke, Albertus slid out of his booth. His feet hadn't touched the ground in ages, and when they did, he wobbled his way into a standing position. He was quite drunk... but another speech was more important than proper balance anyway. "Always run. Never run away from anything, though. When you run, always run to the next awesome thing. You ever watch birds? When their nests are empty, they do the most flying~"