Everyone remained in their positions.

Some standing, others knelt before Dante, who still laid upon the ground.

All frozen in fear.

A dim light began to emanate from Jacob's chest beneath his shirt.

Jacob stood, his body frozen with the fear inflicted upon him by that great lion.

'What the fuck was that? What the fuck did Dante get us into?' Jacob thought as he felt something surround him, encompassing his whole body.

He blinked and found himself in a grey and shadowed forest.

Fear had consumed him, leaving him frozen in place.

He slowly looked down as he felt something touching his leg.

There he saw a small brown bear cub standing on its back legs, resting one of its front paws upon his leg to support itself.

He looked down at it and it looked up to him in turn.

Slowly the small cub embraced Jacobs leg, trying to give him some small measure of comfort.

Slowly and shakily his hands began to move, his body began to move.

He knelt down and embraced the small cub, who in turn looked up and licked his face eliciting a small laugh from him.

All about him he suddenly heard the sounds of life.

Looking up he saw several greyish birds. Each more one color or another, singing together from tree branches high above him.

Birds that seemed almost translucent.

In the distance he could hear flowing water.

Something was behind him now, but he knew who it was.

Slowly and gently great arms reached down and picked up Jacob and the cub.

He turned his head to see it was the great mother bear who now held him.

The mother bear gently held both the cub and Jacob to her chest, wrapping them in the love of a mothers embrace.

Jacob looked to the small cub in front of him. It had its arms spread up and outward pressing against its mother's chest.

All the while he was still in a crouching position.

And so from that position, held in the great mother bear's arms he too spread out his arms and embraced the mother bear.

Love, and reassurance washed over him, allowing him to finally take a shaky breath.

He felt safe here in these arms.

-------------------------------

The great mother bear looked down to her children.

The one she had born, and the one who had chosen her.

She felt his fear and so, she would bring to bear all her might to drive it out.

This thing that clung to him.

This place in which she now stayed had been so colorful and full of life but a moment ago.

It had become grey for a long minute before some color returned.

She turned to face the small cub, the small lion cub that stepped forth from the sickly greyish green foliage.

You came...

Spoke the mother bear, her voice gentle and warming like a summer's breeze.

Of course...

As if I would allow it to be any other way...

The newborn lion spirit said in a no nonsense manner.

Then together we shall fix what has been done...

She said as they lifted their heads to the sky and roared with all, their, might!

Light poured out of them, pushing back and then banishing the grey.

--------------------------------------------------

Jacobs eyes burned gold for a moment as those roars shook something within him loose.

Something that seemed to be trying to cling to his very soul.

It resisted for a moment before all at once it came free, and Jacob felt the weight of the world fall from his shoulders.

Golden energy seeped from his form, soaking into the earth but not before he looked down.

Not before he saw a face in that golden energy, the face of that Lion king.

And then it was gone.

Jacob looked at his hands as a bit of light from the great mother bear organized itself there in his mind.

Through love and family, fear has been conquered!...

The Road of Family has opened to you and those you hold dear...

The Road of Courage I has opened to you...

Congratulations! Through your actions, and the actions of your spirits, you have gained access to the spell, Greater Restoration, 5th level...

Greater Restoration, 5th Lvl

You imbue a creature you touch with positive energy to undo a debilitating effect. You can reduce the target’s resource exhaustion level by one, for health, mana, and or stamina. Or you may end one of the following effects on the target:

One effect that charmed, petrified, or frieghtened the target

One curse, including the target’s attunement to a cursed magic item

Any reduction to one of the target’s stats

One effect reducing the target’s hit point maximum

You may select an additional effect for every slot spent above 5th.

Base Mana: 600, Material component: A diamond marble of .6 inches in diameter, which the spell consumes.

Error!...

Recalculating...

You lack sufficient stats to properly cast this spell...

Error!

Recalculating...

Congratulations! By your pact with the spirits you have obtained the Rare boon, "A Mother's love, A lion's Pride!"

Twice a day, 2/day, you may cast the spell, Greater Restoration, for only its mana cost...

Jacob smiled for a moment as he placed a hand upon his chest, just above the palm sized symbol of a bear's head that still glowed slightly beneath his shirt.

He then turned to the other's still held in the grips of fear, and then to Dante.

'I'll do you first. You'll help me break the fear on everyone and then you'll explain WHAT THE FUCK, just happened.' Jacob thought as he took a deep breath and stepped up to and then knelt before Dante who was still on the ground.

As he reached out he began casting, his hand becoming covered in light, before he pressed it to Dante's chest.

He felt the effect reach into Dante. It seeped into his very soul and shook loose the fear from him.

But as he did that he felt something else reaching back.

Something hot.

Congratulations! Through your connection to Dante, your opening of the Road of Family, and your casting of Greater Restoration to vanquish fear...

Suddenly he felt a heat welling up in his chest before it seemed to reach a stopping point, growing no hotter.

The fire within him reaches out to you...

You have obtained the Rare passive skill, Burning Heart Lvl. 1!...

-------------------------------------------------

Dante saw Jacob walking towards him but it only increased his fear.

The hand reached out covered in light, but it only made him more scared.

Suddenly he felt something pouring into him, and then he heard it.

A great roar filled his ears only to be joined immediately by another much smaller and squeakier one.

Where the roar of the king had pushed him deep into the grips of fear.

These voices gave him hope.

They stood against fear and said,...

Stand up!...

He felt his mind come back to him as the candle of his burning heart redoubled, until it was once more a raging bonfire.

He was Dante, and he would not live in fear!

Burning Heart has leveled up! Lvl. 24!...

Burning Heart has leveled up! Lvl. 25!...

Burning Heart has leveled up! Lvl. 26!...

----------------------------

After driving out the fear from everyone Dante took several minutes to explain what had happened.

Dante now stood in the shade of the tree looking outward, scanning the horizon and watching for any threats while his friends rested.

Eagle's sight has leveled up! Lvl. 12...

The second level in that skill he had gained in the last 10 minutes.

Then he saw something.

About a quarter mile away, something stood up from the grass beneath a tree.

It was a Kangaroo, and It seemed to be watching them.

"Hey guys...I think I'm seeing something weird. Anyone else seeing that Kangaroo?" Dante said.

As he did so everyone stood and readied their weapons preparing for a fight.

As they asked what it was, Dante simply pointed towards the creature in the distance.

Jacob was the first to spot it as he had the second highest perception of the group. "What the fuck man? You scared the shit out of us! It's just a kangaroo." He said drawing everyone's attention.

"I think the point he's trying to make is that Kangaroos live in Australia Jacob, not Africa. How did it move across a quarter of the planet to be here?" James said whilst tightly gripping his bronze colored spear.

"It's coming this way." Dante remarked as the creature had begun hopping in their direction. Covering the distance in only a minute.

As the Kangaroo arrived Jacob took a step forward, attempting a conversation with it before Its form blurred for a moment.

When that moment was done what stood before them was a younger black haired woman wearing green robes.

"Hi I'm Jackie and I'm a Druid. It's nice to meet you." She said with a smile as she reached out her hand to shake Jacob's.

He stood stunned for a moment before shaking it off and shaking her hand with a smile.

"It's very nice to meet you as well. I'm Jacob a Totem Master, That's James a Spearman, Reo the monk, Herald our Codic Wizard, Nathan a Dungeon Master..." Jacob said exaggerating the class while wiggling his fingers in the air with a smile.

"And last but certainly not least Dante is our only Cleric at the moment." Jacob said finishing introductions for everyone.

The smile fell from Jackie's face and was replaced by one of questioning.

"I have several questions but those can wait till later. I'm from Australia as you might have guessed. Home to Kangaroos, dingoes, spiders, snakes and such, as well as a rather annoying variety of flightless birds called emus."

Dante chimed in, "You guys fought a war against those guys right? And didn't you loose?"

"Yep. That was like 90 years ago though." She stated plainly. Her expression was one of annoyance, clearly not happy that her nation had fought and lost a war against birds.

(A/N: This is an actual thing, look up the Emu war.)

There was a host of laughter from those among them.

Many wondered how that was possible.

Dante laughed as well, but then he began to think about that.

A new question surfaced in his mind and so he asked. "What happens if those emus begin to monsterize?"

There was silence as the joy of the previous moment was cut abruptly short.

"Oh shit..."

-------------------------

The great herd of emus called out.

They had felt it.

The world had changed and some could feel themselves changing as well.

The great herd of emus parted in several places creating large circles around singular emu's. Each of those individual emus fell to the ground as they began to have violent seizures. Throwing their necks in all directions violently, the blood vessels in their eyes bursting leaving them appearing crimson.

The first stood up, and then another, and another. The emus began to file back in the spaces.

One of the red eyes emus lunged forward and brutally pecked on of the other emus, drawing blood.

The emu that had been attacked began fleeing, only to be pursued by the same emu that had attacked it.

Quickly the emu with bloodshot eyes caught up to the one it had attacked.

It was much faster than the ordinary emu now, and with three great pecks brought it down.

No sooner than it was on the ground did the emu began to feast upon its body, even though it had yet to die.

And this repeated all across the Australian continent.

Emu's and many other creatures all across the Earth were beginning to monsterize.

------------------------

"So why a Kangaroo? Why not a cheetah?" Jacob asked.

"I have never seen a picture of one. Polymorph requires that I have seen the creature I want to become. Besides, kangaroos have a pocket." She said whilst motioning to her robes which upon inspection, had no pockets.

Dante chimed in again, "They can run fast but not for too long Jacob. Cheetahs are a speed build not really meant for endurance. Besides, her stamina would probably run out way too fast making it non-viable."

"My stamina isn't too high. I'm only level 34." Jackie said.

"Cool, understandable. What's it like having polymorph?" Dante asked, truly curious.

"Its amazing! I can become so many different creatures! What I didn't expect was that it scales the form to match my level. I tried a bunny a few times. Bunnies are plentiful as shit in Australia! I was a level 34 bunny and damn was I quick. I was so fast I accidentally killed myself by running into a tree." She said with a small laugh while smiling, as if it had been a rather pleasant memory.

"Well fuck. Good to know that part of the spell still works. I'm interested that it scales the form to your level. Anything else?" Dante asked with a hand on his chin.

"Yeah. You can't use certain skills if the form won't permit them and you can't spend RP or SP while polymorph is active on you. the system explained it as your body isn't precisely yours when you have the spell active on yourself. So it just...won't.. let you spend RP or SP." She said with a look that said she had tried anyway and found it to be true.

Dante and Jacob nodded and began further discussing polymorph with her before Reo stepped forth with a disgruntled look.

"Hey Dumbasses! You forgot to ask a few questions because she's a pretty girl. Like why the fuck are you out here alone!" Reo exclaimed, having grown irritated by the boys in the group dropping their guard.

Jackie looked at her and her smile faded.

"I didn't come here alone. I came here with a group of guys. About 7 warriors, I was the only person who could heal. They all died to lions hours ago. I ran away when half of them had died and the others were close behind. I wanted to head back to the door and leave but the lions that killed them are sitting under a tree not too far from the door. The biggest one..." she paused for a moment and shook slightly.

"He took a swipe at our party leader who was level 68. His head turned to red mist. The guy bragged he was ranked 23 in the world in terms of strength. I heard another fight, came looking and eventually found you guys." She said her voice cracking slightly in the middle.

Dante smiled as he said, "Yeah we almost bit it as well. Well I did anyway. It was closer than I would have liked. All that was despite me being ranked 9 in the world...at the time." Dante furrowed his brow as he hadn't meant to say that last bit.

"Hold on a moment Jackie. Virgil."

Light flowed from his chest before coming to form the familiar golden figure of Virgil.

"Please state the Nature of your inquiry."

"What the fuck is that?!" Jackie exclaimed surprise evident upon her face as she pointed at Virgil who turned to her with a small frown.

Virgil paused for a moment as his usual smile fell. Turning to Jackie for a moment he spoke.

"My name is Virgil!" He said with calm force.

"I am the system guide for Dante and sometimes his associates. I would appreciate it if you referred to me by my name and not as that." He said his tone denoting mild annoyance.

"Ok. I'm...sorry...Virgil? I didn't know there was a guide to the system." She said slowly trying to process what was going on.

"Apology accepted, thank you..." He said before turning back towards Dante.

"Now, what would you like to know?" Virgil asked, a small smile creeping back upon his face.

"What is my rank currently?" He asked simply. Virgil’s eyes flashed golden and stayed that way for 10 seconds.

"...Oh my things certainly move fast on these new worlds. I am sorry Dante your rank has moved from 9 to 21. I suspect it will drop further in the coming days...Much further your rank 22 now."

Dante paused for a moment, his eyes bulging from their sockets.

"... Ho...Holy shit! Can you tell me anything about these people?" He asked.

After a moment of silence Virgil spoke again, "All I can say is that those that have taken the higher places have done so by the same means that made your gods truly real. They are believed in."

--------------------

Standing in a Crimson place were two figures.

A gruff looking human warrior stood proud and tall in his worn looking armor. His skin was pale and scarred. His armor dented and scratched. Upon his back he had a greatsword that glowed with a faint crimson light, and emanated an aura of...hunger, or was it thirst? He was a veteran of many battles.

Beside him stood a beautiful human woman in translucent attire. Many details of her seemed to shift from moment to moment. From the color of her hair and eyes, to even the color of her skin.

They looked down from on high to the man who had shown them this new world.

Though he had joined another they held no ill will.

"Versona, shouldn't you be off giving your followers wet dreams somewhere?" The gruff man asked rather rudely, not seeming to enjoy the woman's company.

"Oh my dear Hemora, I am." She said as she gently grasped his arm and looked up to stare into his eyes.

Hemora Looked upon her for a moment before returning his attention to the boy and his compatriots.

"Besides...it appears we have guests." She said as two figures standing side by side began to slowly apparate as they walked into this place.

The two that had arrived were men, their appearances were so similar one might assume they were twins or at the very least related.

Each wore what appeared to be formal wear of a US general.

Each was a tan man of about equal height to one another.

The two looked over the figures for a moment, examining them carefully. Though their eyes lingered just a bit longer upon Verso than they had intended.

"Hello, we have come to ascertain your intentions, Sir and Madam." the man on the left said as he took a step forward, pulled off his hat placing it to his chest and bowed. As he did so he revealed his well kept black slicked back hair, before he stood once more and replaced his hat upon his head. His yellow eyes shifting constantly as if taking in his surroundings at every moment.

The man on the right had no hat. His reddish brown hair was sleak with grease and tied back by a length of cord. His crimson eyes darting to and focusing on Hemora pointing toward him.

"Who the fuck are you and..." His voice suddenly calmed for a moment as his hand gently drifted over, almost reaching out to the beautiful woman with his palm to the crimson sky.

"And may I know you name my lovely lady?" He asked his voice shifting from one of aggression to one of charm and etiquette.

Hemora smiled as Versona spoke, "I am Versona and this is Hemora. May we have your names?"

"I'm Mars." Spoke the man on the left.

"I am Ares." Spoke the man on the right.

Hemora spoke up, "I see that neither of you are truly here."

Ares' eyes shifted in and out of focus for a few seconds as he seemed to grow angry before they once more grew distant, his posture relaxing somewhat into his previous arms crossed idle positioning.

"We're a bit busy at the moment, but we had to make time for you guys. It does feel good to be believed in again, though." Ares said as he tossed his arms in the air for a moment before returning to his previous position.

"Yes it does. You're correct. Our attentions have been divided trying to acquire new followers and among other tasks. We sensed your arrival and collected what little we could to come meet you." Mars spoke, his speech refined and straight to the point.

Hemora smiled at his words, "Honesty I appreciate that, Sir. To put you at ease you have nothing to fear from me right now. I wouldn't fight you guys even if you stood before me in all your glories. You are not strong enough. Neither of you are strong enough. There's no honor in fighting someone far weaker than myself. I will give you time to grow, and amass power. Then we will fight and it shall be glorious!" Hemora spoke with a crazed smile.

Ares' distant eyes focused for a second, "I will look forward to it." He said.

-----------------

Ares and Mars yelled for the soldiers to keep running around the track even as their eyes shifted out of focus and back into it in rapid succession.

"Keep it up you maggots, how are you supposed to fight monsters if you can't even make it around this track a couple times." Mars spoke in a strong tone.

"Keep running you fuck or I'll shove my spear up your ass till the system sends you back to earth. MOVE DAMMIT, MOVE!" Ares yelled as he drew his spear to intimidate the soldiers.

Several began using their sprint skills despite their considerable stamina reserves already beginning to run a bit low.

------------------

"Now then. Why are you encroaching upon our world?" Mars asked his voice calm and even.

"We are here because one of the children of Earth drew us here. We're gods of blood. We felt him, felt his anguish, and so we came..." Hemora was suddenly interupted by Versona.

"But he chose another of our kin...Look you can see Rosana down there now!" She said as she pointed down through the seemingly transparent floor of the plane.

Down on Earth standing besides Dante was Rosana. She stood by him and his friends as they spoke listening to their words, though none seemed to know she was there.

Looking back up the four gods looked to each other once more.

"I want to make the people of your world strong so that I may enjoy the battles to come." Hemora stated plainly, elicinting a smile from Ares.

"You may yet get your wish. Several humans are rising rapidly in level. It won't be more than a few years before they step across that boundary and ascend." Mars spoke his voice tinged with concern.

"Show us please." Versona asked before throwing a wink at the twin gods eliciting a smile from even Mars this time.

"We will show you two of the stronger one's." Ares said as he waved his hand and the scene beneath them shifted.

"First we shall show you Rank 9. A human man by the name of Chuck Norris."

-----------------------------------------------

An older man stood covered in crimson blood. His fists lashed out again and again as he attempted to slay the beast that was attacking him and the teenage boy behind him.

The boy wept and cried fearing for his life should the man fall.

Again and again the mans fists lashed out trying to keep the four armed giant from advancing, from reaching out to grab the boy.

Growing tired of the games the giant reached forth with two of it arms and grappled Chuck against his chest. As it did that it reached out and grasped the boy with both its other hands, crushing the boy in its grasp.

Even as the boy felt his bones bend and break, blood filling his lungs, he still believed the man could win, for he was Chuck Norris.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Chuck yelled as his eyes blazed gold. He screamed into the face of the giant as his his beard parted for but an instant.

In that instant, a third fist leapt forth and brutalized the giants face before vanishing as if it had never been there.

The blow struck with such force that it shoved back the giant causing it to release both him and the boy.

Chuck in one swift and powerful motion roundhouse kicked the giants head into a cloud of red mist.

The ground shook slightly as the giants body hit the ground, the golden light faded from his eyes.

"Oh no, no, no!" Chuck said as he turned back and raced the short distance to the boy who now laid upon the ground.

The boy had been crushed by they giants grasp.

Chuck watched the boys chest rise and fall, taking one shaky breath, before the boy stilled and moved no more.

He weapt for the boy had so much time ahead of him.

-------------------

Error!...

Recalculating...

"What the fuck is going on? Why isn't the boy respawning?" Hemora asked only gaining a shruge from Mars while Ares smiled before stating.

"Keep watching."

-------------------

"If only...If only..."Chuck whispered as he slowly hit the ground with his fists.

A new sound came up. The sound of beating wings.

Chuck looked up to find a figure clade all in white standing before him. Upon his back sprouted a pair of magnificent white angels wings.

"His time is done...Let him go Chuck...He is beyond your reach..."Death spoke in a voice that sounded as old as time, and held the weight of many deaths.

"Just...Just..." Chuck had not the words as he began weaping boy taken too soon.

Then the words of the system rang in his mind once more.

What people believe you can do, you can...

You walk a Divine road that so few have ever managed to complete...

What will you do?...

Chuck felt the tears running down his face tiggering something in his memory.

He watched as death reached out for the boy's body.

So it was that he wiped his tears from his eyes mixing with the blood upon his hands and placed his palm upon the boys chest.

Looking up to Death, he had no fear.

For but a moment in the crimson eyes of the angel of death, he saw fear.

"Get up kid, you're not done yet." Chuck said with a kind but stern voice as his eyes burned gold.

Golden light emanated from his palm.

The boys body creaked and cracked as his injuries healed and after a moment, he once more drew breath.

You have gained 3 levels in Divine Initiate!...

You have unlocked the Legendary Active Skill, Resurrection...

Resurrection- Revive a deceased creature you are touching for x times 100 mana, where X= the target creatures level. You may revive a target creature so long as you have a piece of them that was a part of them at the moment of their deaths or after, but not before. Costs increase by 10 if attempted upon undead...

Chuck no longer saw fear in death's eyes. He didn't see the anger he had expected.

Instead he saw joy as death smiled, and vanished with the sound of beating wings.

"Come on let's get you somewhere safe kid." Chuck said as he slowly picked up the unconcious boy and began walking him back to town.

------------------------

"&^*(^(*%(^&%(&%%^&" Hemora stated curses in his native tounge.

"Now the second." Ares spoke with a bit of joy as the scene shifted once more.

-----------------------

Matthew stood with his back to a wall being hounded by a man a head taller than him and probably more than twice his weight in mostly muscle.

Mathew stood wearing a green t-shirt and redish brown pants.

"Look man I gave you the autograph what more do you want?" He said as he watched something walking behind the man.

A large brown hound with black spots.

The obsessed fan raised up a fist clearly not happy with the response.

"Get him Scoob!" Mathew shouted as the large hound leapt up upon the man's back before wrapping his mouth around the man's neck.

Growling the man simply reached back and pulled the hound from off his back, its teeth having not even pierced his skin.

In one swift motion he swung the hound down upon the street.

However, where he had expected a splatter of blood and gore, the sound of shattering bones, all that happened was the dog turning into a puff of mist and smoke.

"AHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHH" Mathew screamed as he throw a punch at the man in desperation.

The man simply smiled and laughed not believeing he could be hurt by this man.

He was wrong.

The instant his fist connected with the man's shoulder he flew backwards only stopping once he had crashed into a building.

This left a large area of the storefront smashed in.

Thankfully no one else had been hurt by the man as he flew by.

However, a tall man with four arms and of ebony skin, stepped out of the building the man had crashed into.

The man looked to him and then to the man standing on the other side of the street, motioning with his hand for him to come over.

Your connection with Familiar, the artificial spirit, Scooby, has deepened...

46% power and falling...

'I wanted to be a wizard and of course when I try to summon one I get a dog that I just had to name Scooby Doo. Well he got me out of that so that's one thing I'm greatful for.' Mathew thought as he heard the familiar laughter of the dog.

Many had seen.

Many knew his name.

Many more simply knew him as Shaggy.

As he began walking forward he was crowded by many people checking to see if he was alright.

They didn't know it then, but this was the beginning of the church of Shaggy...

Matthew Lillard, Rank 12

------------

Hemora was stunned to silence before a wide smile grew upon his face, "There will be most glorious battles to come upon this world."

Hemora looked to the twin gods his smile wide upon his face.

"They will be new, but you. You're not among these new gods." Hemora said crossing his arms, still smiling.

"We are not." Ares and Mars said in sync looking to each other for a moment before looking back to those in front of them.

"So, please show me your strength that I may revile in your accomplishment when the time comes." Hemora asked.

The twins smiled before there was a flash of light from both of the gods.

In an instant, and for but an instant they stood in all their glory. Their eyes focused and filled with life.

----------------------------

The soldiers began to slow as they saw the two men who had been barking orders suddenly dissappear. Even though they slowed, they still kept going, weary it was a trick.

----------------------

Ares stood wearing very old looking but well maintained greek armor.

Mars stood wearing similarly very old but well maintained roman armor.

Each with a spear upon their backs, a sword upon their hips, and a shield upon their left arms.

"Oh boys..." Two voices spoke from the darkness.

In a flash Ares and Mars were back in their formal uniforms, they looked to each other and smiled.

Mars turned back only for Ares to hold a hand out towards Versona, "Care to join us for a good bit of fun?" Ares asked with a charming smile.

A light blush showed upon Versona's face as she took a few steps forward and took Ares' hand.

"It has been quite some time since i've had an opportunity like this. How could I refuse." She said gleefully.

Mars and Ares made haste back into the shadows from which they had emerged with Versona in tow.

---------------

Sudddenly the two men reappeared, one with a large spear in his hand screaming, "I TOLD YOU TO KEEP RUNNING!" He said as he began chasing them with the spear.

-------------

Hemora stood alone for a moment before he waved his hand and once more the scene shifted back to Dante only to see something that he hadn't seen before.

Everything seemed just a little bit off with the scene.

And the closer he looked the more he saw.

Instead of seeing just one group of Dante and his companions, it seemed almost as if there were more of them.

As if they were layered.

Each one slightly off from one another.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven..." Hemora's eyes narrowed upon Rosana still standing there with Dante and his party, mostly unknown to them.

"What the fuck are you up to?" Hemora said under his breath.

Rosana looked up for but a moment to meet his gaze before turning her attention back to the group around her.