Molly St Clair

The information delivered to the group by Malachi was received with mixed reactions after the initial moment of surprise. Patiently, Molly made note of each person's second reaction as the information sunk in. These reactions were detailed in her growing dossier on the sixty. After reading the Commandments, it became clear to her that organization was going to be very important in the coming days. Most of the sixty had been more concerned with the Commandments’ declaration of purpose. The group had then worthlessly debated where on the moral scale that purpose would land. Far as she was concerned, the implication it would take them all to make it through this, was of the greatest importance.

Scanning the crowd she was interested to note that most people were at least intrigued by the prospect of picking a class and fighting monsters. There were of course a few who showed outright fear at the idea of facing monsters. The fear was grounded in the dread that Molly was sure came from when one faced a dream come true, and it didn’t hold up. After all, a fantasy of dungeon crawling was rarely tainted with the terror of death and pain. A fear that was very present when monsters became a fact and facing them became inevitable.

Those that were excited while also being wary or introspective, gained the most attention from her. By her estimation, it would be the cautious willing ones that would be the core of their struggle to rise to freedom. The motivation of escape wouldn’t be enough to get them through this, and for some that wouldn’t even be enough to get them started. Proof that it could be done would be necessary to get everyone to take part. Molly had decided she would need to encourage the right group to form as a vanguard to show the sixty that it could be done. That it was possible she kept firm faith in.

Malachi is an obvious choice to be part of that group, decided St Clair. His charisma would be a useful tool for propelling the discouraged or fearful forward… assuming his skills can back up his speaking talent. She was taking careful measure of his effect on the crowd and overall he had kept the panic from surging. Even encouraged a few to take their own look at the screen. He has the potential... I will note him down as a possible candidate for the vanguard… I wonder if the screens have any notebooks.

Off topic! she scolded herself.

Anyway… the vanguard will be later... The first task for there to be any progress is to get everyone to pick a class and unseal that door. Glancing at the forbidding door, Molly shifted her attention as a third golden dot appeared on the door's surface. Blue lightning directed her attention to the third person to pick a class. He was a large man with a blunt face and a large nose like the lonely mountain. Molly noticed that he was grinning over a pair of fingerless gloves with metal studs on the knuckles. With a pleased hum, Molly also noted that the grin did him a favor.

She found the man with shoulders for days in her mental dossier under the name Warner. This one stood out as an exception. Most of the sixty were still milling around debating the merits of going along with the scenario presented by the screens and the doors. Molly frowned at the needless debate and decided that she may have to take an active role here. It would seem Malachi could calm the crowd, but had not yet gained the respect or the expertise to really motivate a crowd. St Clair ran over what she wanted to say a few times to make sure her message was clear and that she was ready for possible divergences in the conversation.

Her hand reached up to adjust her glasses, but twitched away with angry embarrassment as the glasses weren’t there. Having woken up without them nearby had been strange, that she no longer needed them had been a shock. Molly’s feelings on the miraculous change of her eyes were a mix of excitement and loss for a familiar accessory. They had been an extra layer of protection against the world. Such a mental comfort would be nice to have as she addressed the crowd. Instead, Molly fixed a cool expression and summoned a feeling of stiff protection over her skin. She placed herself beside Malachi once all preparations were made

Pouncing on a lull in the myriad of conversations, Molly called out to the group, “Put aside the concerns of whether we should pick a class.” Her tone had been modulated to be sharp and cool enough to cut through the chatter to draw attention. “We're trapped down here, together... and there is one door out. One door… with one key. Let’s all pick our classes and open the way out. Also, there are the supplies that come with it to consider. So far it’s the only source of food. Possibly for water too. Five days of food buys us time to figure this out together.”

Malachi gave her a smile as people generally agreed with her sentiments. She nodded back, but was already planning her retreat for the sake of her fluttering heart. Being in front of a group wasn’t a pleasant experience for her. When the group started to scatter towards various screens, Molly faded to the back to let Malachi organize the lines. Most just let themselves be sorted to whichever line seemed the smallest. One line of the four bulged longer than the others though. The man with the charming smile and mile-long shoulders had gathered together several of the physically biggest of the sixty.

Molly frowned at the possible implications. Considering the options and her estimations, she thought, but on the other hand, any signs of leadership is a good thing. A few warlords often rise in anarchy. Unified leadership can come later after acceptance of our reality. My instincts say Malachi is the choice to make, but still... Warner is someone to keep an eye on… A pleasant chore really… Careful Molly, off topic…

Some consideration led her to decide that it would be best to let Warner and his bulky group dynamic to play this out. They could be the iconic group that would inspire others to keep pushing forward. Or even the rival of the group she expected to form around Malachi. Either scenario could benefit her plans for the unity of the sixty. As with most plans that relied on people, it was best to have broad stroke goals. The ability to see the social flow and make the right decisions was paramount to see those goals through. There was an inherent risk when manipulating even small aspects of society. Chaos played an equal part in your maneuvering and if you pushed too hard, humanity tended to bite back. Spite for sake of free will was a very human thing.

Molly observed that the lines moved pretty steadily as more golden dots appeared on the forbidding door. For better or worse, soon that door would be open. She ignored the lines for now. Fading back to become unnoticed again had resulted in her being at the end for any line she would choose. Instead, she moved to take a look at the stalls that the screens were scattered around. A few people looked at her guardedly, likely worried she might be trying to cut in line. Though most were deep in their own thoughts. It was in her opinion, they were trying to decide what kind of class to pick and agreed with the sentiment that it wasn’t a decision to make lightly.

Personally, she was thinking that she would go for Acolyte and see if she could learn to cast this world’s version of debuffs. It was a play style that she had always enjoyed. Of course… this isn’t a game, Molly stated to herself. Some may believe this is just a Full dive game, but that was… yeah that’s wishful thinking. This is real and I think it’s gonna be too real for some soon.

The stalls were set up in a loose circle to create the semblance of a market square. The five stalls were set up in the hall next to an indention in the wall that was filled with tables and chairs. The lines streamed from the screens that were placed in between the stalls. As logic would have it, the stall closest to the tables appeared to be a kitchen and was filled with appliances that looked food-related. Some were hard to determine their purpose with odd designs that invoked the futuristic style that was envisioned in the ’50s.

The rest of the stalls were filled with crafting equipment for different disciplines. There was a stall that centered around several sizes of cauldrons with several different chemistry sets, one had several tables with runic designs with board walls with various carving tools hanging, another that was a hodgepodge of various tools from leatherwork to tailoring, and the last was a blacksmithing stall. Each had a still and dusty figure standing within the stall. From stall to stall, they varied from robotic to golem-esque. The blacksmith was the most golem-like with the appearance of a lump of iron molded into the shape of a man. Its hands were delicately constructed and exuded the impression no work could be beyond its skill. At the hodgepodge stall, which Molly thought of simply as the craft stall, was a multi-limbed figure. This figure would have been at home in any sci-fi movie with its shiny metal shell and mechanical glass eyes.

Molly strolled through the market square taking a closer look at each stall. She was curious to note that each stall had clear sections that cut them in half. Each side had duplicate equipment like a mirror image. The figures occupied only one side of a stall, leaving the other half empty. At first, she wondered if there was a missing robot or golem, possibly for backup. The answer was in the other difference that ran true for all five stalls, there was a swinging door entrance for the side without a figure. This last bit left her to guess that maybe they had the option to make their own equipment or allow the figures to do it themselves. This was all reminiscent of a video game as well.

Which is becoming a bit of a theme… thought Molly dryly. Could this just be a video game? VR and AR were nowhere close to this level. Did we win a contest or get kidnapped by some super genius to test a game? We could just as easily be dead like that crazy Harken guy has been suggesting… I hope we’re not dead… Off topic… No, this is too real. I’m letting their chatter distract me from the fear of being iskai’d. There may be no way home...

While wandering the stalls, Molly found that she couldn’t access anything to her annoyance. The swing doors were locked and the open spaces had an invisible wall blocking any unorthodox entry. The force field was hard, but somewhat pliable. She gave the tools and equipment sealed away from her a longing look. The desire to understand their purpose was a strain to ignore. Video games and books could potentially be a source for Molly to make guesses, as she had already done by generally categorizing the stalls. She was wary of being too specific with such sources without studying them directly. Observation, could only get you so far.

“Hey, sticks!” roared a voice, deep and twangy.

Molly turned sharply with an icy look and a raised eyebrow when she realized the “greeting” was aimed at her. “Molly St. Clair,” she replied coldly with a hint of something cruel. “Nicknames like “sticks” are unnecessary and unwanted.”

“Well, darling… uh Molly I mean, no harm meant… none at all,” drawled Warner, grinning with all of the charms a farm boy had to give. It worked well too, with the slight softening of Molly’s frown. “I wanted your attention, and well, sometimes shit just comes out of my mouth. Worked tho’.”

“Attention acquired,” offered Molly and then with perfect pronunciation added, “What can I do for you, Mr. Warner Papadopoulos?”

“Shit, that formality ain’t necessary… And you know my whole name…. damn...” said Warner as he reacted with confusion. Bewildered, he mumbled to himself. Though she could hear him perfectly say, “How did I get so on the wrong foot here…”

“Rudeness, that’s why you are in a hole of your own making,” answered the cool-eyed woman, her frown quivering into a smile for a moment. “Further, you have yet to tell me why you have engaged my attention. Must I continue to suffer the impatience to find out why, Mr. Papadopoulos?”

The unease drained from Warner’s frame as his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “Ya know, with that tone and the hand reaching for glasses that ain't there… You remind me of an old librarian I knew. She always played stern, but was all grins inside…” The fluttering of Molly’s eyes was the only sign of a flinch as she continued to cooly, and rigidly, stand there.

“I assure you that if tested I am not all grins,” she growled back.

“Perhaps it’s that way, and perhaps it ain’t,” he responded absently. “I came to ya with an offer. The way I see it, we gotta form groups. Parties… ya might say... ya know with this goddamn video game hijinks we seemed to be forced to play at…” A shark's grin swam onto his face in reflection to Molly’s own ice queen frown. “Muscle we got between the brutes that already joined up with me. Strength sees strength, just as like minds find like minds. ‘Cept that ain’t never enough is it? Soo, as I said, we got brawn, but I know we need some brains… I’m guessing you got quite a lot of it. Your eyes are sharp and you waste no time … or nonsense it seems…. Join me.”

Molly tapped her lips thoughtfully, refusing to be rushed into a decision. The man with the shoulders smirked and rolled his eyes as he waited for her deliberations to come to an end. She had originally planned to stay in the shadows to get a better feel for the pulse of the group. See where her sense of order could be best put to use. Perhaps, maneuvering Malachi into the leading role he seemed to be suited for. Warner, she thought, could play that role as well… though rough around the edges is the sense I get from him. Could lead, doesn’t mean he should. He’s comfortable with a leading role, or wants to be in one at least… Plus those shoulders! And the smile… that boyish charm is hard-hitting, whew!… Off topic! ANYWAYS, he's an element of the group that could use some extra attention. Potential asset... potentially volatile. I better keep an eye on him.

Her attention whipped back to Warner who had been studying his gloves while waiting. “You are in luck Mr. Papadopoulos,” started Molly. “I was planning on picking an Acolyte path and I will join your group. I am encouraged by your initiative to form a group. I hope we have plans for another mage, as I won’t be enough I think for a balanced team, and a healer if only with the first aid we are used to…”

“Glad you're with us,” grinned Warner. “Let’s take this talk over with the group. Better to decide all together… Also, and this is very important. Call me Warner. Drop the mister and leave my last name be. Just Warner, alright?”

She paused with a frown as a few thoughts filtered through about maintaining distance and social anxiety. In the end, Molly nodded and said, “Alright, uh Warner. Introduce me to the others.” Still frowning she wondered, I hope I joined for the logical reasons and not the shoulders…

Phelain Starr

Surprise had quickly turned to glee when Phelain had awoken with the sight of the Hall. He had jittered with excitement when he had taken in his new reality. Others had seen his wide-eyed stare taking everything in as panic, but the joy was just so overwhelming. It finally happened! Phelain had exclaimed to himself. Another world! I have finally been taken to another world to be a hero...

It was to his amusement that the others of the sixty seemed to miss the obvious. They could go blue discussing the merits of their theories. There was no way they were dead or in a full dive game. That was just silly. It was clear to Phelain that this was another world and the dungeon they were starting in was a test of some kind. Didn’t the words, the Commandments, say they were here for a purpose? It is clear to me that the purpose is to become strong enough to save the world, he faithfully decided.

It had irritated him that others had gotten to the screens before him, but he had so much to plan out. Do I want to be the sort of hero that played it cool at first, or should he just go all out from the get go? He had been debating with himself while half-listening to what that guy Malachi had to say. Those around him had begun to debate why everything was like a video game. This encouraged the full dive crowd to start cawing again about how it must be a new technology they were testing. With a scoff, Phelain had walked ahead of the group to get a screen before the crowd. It seems to me that the video game aspect is to help us better attune to our new lives, grumbled Phelain to himself.

Once at the screen, he didn’t take long to make his choices. First, he took room thirteen on the right for the symbolism. Next, he grabbed the warrior class and picked out a sword and shield. A hero’s choice he thought to himself. On the front lines, his sword would deal final blows and his shield would protect the lives of others.

Admittedly, using both in tandem was harder than Phelain would have guessed. His swings had been a little wild and more awkward than expected. Something to work on, but he was confident that in time his skills would smooth out. After all, he had been waiting for this his whole life. Making video game adventures for others had earned him everything their old world could offer, but it had all just been preparatory for this moment. He had almost given up the faith that it would ever happen. A blissful smile popped his dimples as Phelain ran to join those who would open the door for the first time. He joked inside his head, How could the hero miss that moment?