The Department of Death stands on a bustling city street, lost souls wandering its pavements without intent. A monolith in the city of purgatory, it poses as a gateway for the newly deceased. Its cold sandstone and cement seems to be unaffected by the underworld sun. Most days, the business owners of surrounding establishments might even say that its floors blot out the sun.

All of these stand as baseless rumors and gossip to the D.O.D's employees.

"It's just a government building. No one treats me like I'm some kind of grim reaper, but for some reason the building I work in gives them the creeps. I just run the elevators."

"I work on the cars here. The building is pretty big, but I mean, we got a big operation here! How do they think all their money they were buried with gets sent to their loved ones? Or how their loved ones even get to the land of the dead in the first place? Cut the high rise some slack, eh?"

"They just don't like that it's the biggest building in El Marrow. Folks are trying to bring big business back to the city. Don't they know how that worked out last time?"

The Department of Death stands as a necessary place of work for the entirety of the realm. To some, it's a omnipresent, oppressive government that stands to be the sole interpreter of the 'powers at be.' To others, it's their only hope of employment before they may cross over into the land of eternal rest; heaven to some more religious folk. To most, it's always been there, so why question it?

Within the walls of the skyscraper, various divisions handle the comings and goings of purgatory life. The Packing and Shipping department handles the shipping of money, possessions, skin, and bodies across the land of the dead. All of these shipments are highly confidential and necessary for the peace of mind of the D.O.D's clients. The Travel Department handles the processing of every client's record and possible transportation options to the land of eternal rest. These agents are the ones on the front lines of handling the souls of the damned and not-so-damned. The Anti-Crime and Forensic Botany Department doesn't get much work these days, but that's certainly for the better.

The Internet and Communication Services Department is the newest division of the D.O.D. Some years ago, the land of the dead wasn't wired at all; no Internet, only basic phone lines running within highly populated areas. However, after a troubling amount of souls reporting severe anxiety and fear of their possible time in the Land of the Dead and their life in realms beyond, a government-wide effort began to attempt to ease and combat this issue. How could the other departments possibly run and serve the newly deceased souls successfully with such mental turmoil?

"There was one woman I remember talking to some years ago. She had the whitest bones I had ever seen; she was terrified. The way she shifted in her chair, I knew what she was thinking. She thought the entire office we were sitting in was just a dream; not even a nightmare. Nightmares stand out as something scary usually right away, but she wasn't so sure if it was scary yet. As soon as I told her where she was, her knees pulled up towards her chest, and her arms wrapped around them. She must have sat there and rocked back and forth for an hour. Some people just can't believe they're dead, and I don't think we can judge them for it just because we're jaded."

The first proposed plan to combat this issue sweeping the latest generation of deceased souls was to change the interior of travel agents' offices. Maybe a more calming and inviting design would ease the dead into a calmer state for discussion. This, however, never was tested due to budgetary restraints. New couches and chairs don't come cheap. The second largely discussed idea was to slow the travel plan process down. Usually, as soon as a soul is brought to the land of the dead, they are asked to meet with a specific agent in their office to discuss their way out of the land of the dead. Some critics within upper management thought that this is far too soon to drop such a bombshell. "They die, they go through our systems, they sit in a office in a whole world they've never known, and then we ship them off? Don't be ridiculous, of course they're scared."

This process is now broken up over several days with the newly deceased lodging in nearby apartments for some weeks after their death. They can meet with any family they may have in the land of the dead, and the discussions with travel agents are broken up over several meetings. According to client surveys, comfort levels and satisfaction with the service provided have gone up dramatically. Despite this becoming common practice, many D.O.D higher ups have continuously pushed for more and more "comfort mechanisms" (as they're called now).

Some younger clients have still cited a certain disconnect with the Department of Death and its employees. The reality of younger clients ever entering the door is one of shock and concern for everyone, but it's a reality that cannot be faithfully ignored. After months of deliberation and further client surveying, a massive, outstretching idea was proposed.

The Internet had to be brought to the land of the dead. To most of the board, this seemed like more of convenience for purgatory's existing residents rather than newly deceased souls.

"I was pretty convinced that they just wanted to watch human porn from down here. I've met men here that just wanna mentally get off to women with skin... They've been down here too long." "I mean, it would help with getting around. GPS is nice, but I didn't really know how we'd even do it. I wasn't alive when the Internet was even invented." "It just seemed like something expensive just for the sake of being expensive. You know how government spending is; asking for money they don't need and spending it on things that inconvenience the average fella."

Even with all of the chattering, this plan went through, and for several years, through technological wizardry that the average skeleton couldn't comprehend, the Internet as well as updated telephone and electric wiring was implemented across the realm. This large of a task called for lots and lots of labor, meaning it did require the hiring of hundreds of new employees--skeletons and demons alike. 37 demons were hired part and full-time to the newly founded Internet and Communication Services Department. The workers brought on for the project weren't only for the immediate physical labor; this project had longevity in mind. With the creation of a new department, the only way said department could survive was with a workforce. Besides technicians, electricians, and movers, other communication employees were brought on.

One of which had a novel idea. A fairly young demon was hired after submitting one of the longest resumes the Department of Death had ever seen. Bartender, gardener, nurse's assistant, club DJ, retail employee, food service worker, personal shopper, hotel front desk manager... the list went on. This fact alone intrigued the hiring team. Most demons have one job that the powers at be assign to them prior to their creation (or birth). A mechanic is born a mechanic, no way around it. For this demon, it seemed as if something with the powers at be were wrong, but that couldn't be. Perhaps she just was too kind, filling positions left and right in case anyone needed her to. Maybe she couldn't actually do what she was 'designed' to do. No matter what the reason may have been, it didn't bother the recruiter one bit. She had lasted at each position for many years which proved she had the staying power this new project needed.

"And last thing we need is your name." "It should be on the top of the paper there, I think!" " 'Azumi Sproutella.' Yeah, yeah, I just wasn't sure because most demons only have one name, ya know." "Oh yeah, I mean I've had to make a full name for myself for all the positions I've had. Lots of customers feel it's more personable to have a full name like most skeletons so!" "Do you have anything you want to be called?" "Azumi, Sprout, Mimi, all of those are good!" "Alright, good good... Is there any reason why you went with 'Sproutella' as your last name? I mean you know what it is right-" "Of course I do, yeah! I just thought, I don't know. I wanted to reclaim it in a way. My horns are actual plant matter, ya know! I'm not sure if the patch of land I came from was affected with sproutella, but I think it could be possible! And now that crime has gone back now, I thought 'why not?'" "I guess that makes sense, I would just default to your first name just in case."

After the first meeting, she was hired. In her second meeting, she proposed an idea that had been itching in the back of her head for years and years now. "What if there was some way to talk to the living? Don't you think that might help?" As nebulous as the Internet was to most land of the dead residents, it did seem possible through its power. After around 6 months on working on the technical side, Azumi was assigned to the Research and Development division of the project. Alongside burgeoning experts in the field, she researched the possibility of using the Internet to connect with living people, hoping to ease their worries about the underworld.

This research didn't come without snags. For the first six months on this new team, the Internet systems were far too fragile to do sustained searches. Each search would last less than an hour before a new problem would arise. For most living people, these problems could be moved around with other technology. However, the most advanced tech the land of the dead had seen prior to this massive operation was a basic house telephone, televisions, and cars from around the 1960's. There was no way to learn more about how to fix digital issues before the actual groundwork of physical tech was perfected. With this in mind, Azumi and her team dragged on, only able to hypothesize about how to possibly bridge the gap between living, dead, and immortal. In their brainstorming, the idea of using media like a television show or movie or even video game to make conversations about the underworld easier came to mind.

This period of rapid technological growth brought on lots of panic for some long time realm residents, but it mostly was a marvel to those passing by. Luckily, by the time that the wiring and administration of new computers were complete, the Research and Development team had come upon a singular question that would push through their plan forward. Live news feeds were already possible on via television in the land of the dead. If it was possible to replicate this system between the land of the living and the land of the dead using the Internet, the gap could be bridged. Azumi once would've called herself not much of a tech-minded demon, but after this project, that couldn't be less true. She quickly became the head of digital troubleshooting and creation, while the rest of the team devoted their time to the physical tech.

Fast forward to the summer time; it was the final year of project's funding. Using covert methods of connection, the physical and metaphysical gaps between the land of the dead and living had been bridged through the Internet. Azumi had truthfully been primarily focused on the technical sides of their broadcasting process, and the team had come to a decision about who would be the "newscaster," or as they call it now, "streamer" for this bridging to begin.

"We thought it'd be best for you to take that spot, Sprout. You seemed the most interested in trying out video games for the first time too, so it fits best in our opinion." "Me?! I mean, it sounds fun, but don't you think it'd be more fun for living folks to see a skeleton?" "Well, we're trying not to scare them. I feel like seeing one of us might just remind them of Halloween." "I guess, but do I look... human enough?" "Can't you just change up your look whenever you want?" "I guess I could try that, but-" "You're the best candidate for this, and we'll be cheering you from behind the scenes! Just try it out."

And with that, Azumi was sent into a flurry. She had to style her hair, her clothes, her horns, her eyes, her skin, her voice! She had to buy games with so little of the D.O.D's money; how would she ever find games good and cheap enough at the same time! Her appearance at the start of her broadcasting career wasn't quite what she'd choose today, but it served a purpose--a starting point. She wasn't fully prepared for what the living might say about her, but she was more worried they wouldn't say anything at all. Hopping from job to job her whole life, she was used to rejection and empty rooms; she was used to simply filling the seat. This time, though, the only seat there was to fill was her own. According to her friends and coworkers, she was the only one who could fill this role appropriately. It seemed impossible to reach the confidence needed to be the one in center stage, but she put her best dress on, sharpened her horns, and after rigorous and copious testing, decided to be the bridge so many worried souls had always needed.

"Hello, nice to meet you! I'm Azumi Sproutella! I'm a demon from the land of the dead, I appreciate you coming to my broadcast!" "Thank you all for getting me to affiliate!" "Happy 100 followers!" "Happy 500 followers!"

"Happy 1 year!"

Most employees at the Department of Death have no idea that there's a demon with dozens of outfits talking to living folk right in their own building. Most deceased souls have no idea that there is even a way for speak to anyone with skin again. Most living folks don't know that there is a way to communicate with someone living in purgatory. To Azumi and her department, though, it's not about 'most.' It's about the possibility that one day, a soul enters their offices with a little less fear. It's about the fun that can be shared regardless if you're alive, dead, or immortal. It's about the ability to even try something as crazy as this in the first place.

As long as there are low-cost, great games to play, new outfits to wear, and people to meet, you'll be able to hear Azumi from behind the walls of that huge skyscraper.