08 - epilogue

[afflictionmods]

EPILOGUE

So.

Juniper is dead. Lorelei and Florence are alive. And the rest of you, thankfully, are also alive and kicking.

The building is kind of a mess right now, and a lot of the citizens are in kind of disarray, confused and uncertain of what exactly is going on in the Camellia tower. Things are a bit of a mess right now, but what matters is that you’ve stopped things. The cycle of these experiments, suppression – it’s over.

Your markings are still here, however. You are free to try and figure that out, too (though the answer is, indeed, quite simple with the "B" toggle, and may be hand waved). Other than that, though, everything seems to be...stabilized. As good as they can be, anyway. Lorelei and Florence are around, for any last conversations. When you emerge, the sun is out, perhaps brighter than usual – though whether that’s because of joy from the citizens or confusion is anyone’s guess – and some of you are covered in blood, but you are here.

And you are ready to finally, finally return home.

---

(OOC: For anyone who's willing, Lorelei will be able to configure tablets to synch up with the portal here at Estelline. From there, they will be able to world hop to someone else's world; so the Estelline portal is now a hub, of sorts. It's not a direct world hop and it's a bit inconvenient, but it is a way for you guys to see each other again.

She will also ensure that those who are currently sleeping will be sent home in one piece.

All of this can be handwaved, or threaded out in the Lorelei thread.

Happy Good Ending, everyone!)

FULL NAV

(CODE)

Comments

[cheerfuldays]

( they did it? they did it! that's- wow!! ... they could... probably go whenever, now, but. well. there's a lot left to do. especially after lorelei confirms that she can make estelline a hub so to speak- there's so many plans to make!

shizuku can be found a few places.

laying on her back in the park because that was... something!! a lot of something. and she's exhausted but if she goes to her room right now she WILL take a nap.

getting some food one last time, hopefully with others...? (madara's probably there right beside her, let's be real.)

or, with the door open, in her and madara's room, quietly storing what she can into something carriable. yes she stole a large backpack from the school store. it's fine. thankfully, it doesn't seem like she grabbed a whole lot during everything- clothes, her prizes, books that wound up being returned once she was done... oh, wait. the camera.

once she's gotten her things packed, shizuku is going around with the polaroid camera and getting pictures of people, preferably in groups! )

[selfconcept]

[ Oh, it's Shizuku with a camera. Hien blinks and gives off a small wave, hoping to not seem so... violent. ]

Yo. Taking pics before you go?

[cheerfuldays]

Mmhm. We won these for the newspaper, so I thought this was the best time!

( she debates taking his picture outright... but then after a moment, hops up and in one swoop, grabs his shoulder and holds out the camera facing the two of them. click! the polaroid prints out shortly... )

... Hien? I'm glad I got to meet you.

[selfconcept]

[ Hien is surprised about several things—namely the picture and what Shizuku says. ]

... Yeah? I can't doubt that when you say it with so much sincerity.

[ He peeks over at the Polaroid. Thankfully, Hien shows up in the shot, because he usually doesn't. ]

[cheerfuldays]

Have I ever been anything less?

( oh... she'll have to get copies of the pictures she takes for everyone. which might be harder with a polaroid but still. )

... Thank you, for trying.

( to avoid killing him, that is. even if he put 'talking' on others' shoulders, he still waited and listened once juniper couldn't fuck around anymore. it means a lot. )

[selfconcept]

... You saw that, huh? But you're right. You're always sincere.

[ So Shizuku was one of the camera people. Hm. ]

I'm not good at these sorts of negotiations if it's useless to bargain with the other party. It's like talking to a wall, but... I wanted to give everyone a chance to say their piece anyway.

[ He puts his hands inside his jacket pockets. ]

I was talking to blue boy about that, actually.

[ Xingqiu. Unfortunately, Hien still has trouble saying his name correctly. He was talking about how maybe if they're lucky, Hien wouldn't have to kill Juniper. Despite everything, Hien is still some sort of optimist. Shizuku definitely would have heard them on the camera. ]

But well... when you're that deep into your beliefs, change is a difficult thing to pull off. He mentioned wanting an easy way too, so I didn't think he would change his mind.

[ But he still wanted Juniper to change his mind anyway. ]

how i lost this... my bad!! also cw suicide discussion

[cheerfuldays]

( shizuku nods with a little sigh. )

I had stopped by floor 6 to make a request- but then we found Lorelei. Which.... worked out I think, because I had been there to ask Cater to see if he could find the controls for her microchip, too.

( as she had said, it didn't feel right leaving her like that. )

But then we also found a little about Doctor Juniper, and... well, it went as good as it could.

... The fact that you all tried still means a lot. Sometimes... sometimes that just has to be enough. ... I think he was set on dying, actually. It really did sound like he was trying to provoke us this entire time. Either way he'd get what he wanted.

[selfconcept]

In the end, he was a guy who lost his way due to the amount of expectations that was placed on him. It's tough to be the leader of anything, much less for an entire nation.

Despite the things I've done in that office, [ namely, killing Juniper clones in very awful ways ] I sent him off peacefully.

[ ... ]

As much peace as being eaten into the void would entail. He got what he wanted, in the end, even if it only affected himself.

[cheerfuldays]

I can't help but wonder if such a death is precisely what he wanted then. To be the heart of everything, only to vanish into the void...

( the contrast really sells it, doesn't it. )

... Oh, we didn't figure out how to turn on the cameras until the, ah, impromptu surgery. Lorelei was with us at that time then too.

[partymagician]

[ Fai does a little pose, giving her a peace sign as she takes the picture. ]

Shizuku! I'm glad I got to see you before you left.

[cheerfuldays]

Oh- no, I wasn't going to do that until I got to say goodbye one last time- even if Lorelei's willing to modify the tablets into transporters, it would still be awful...

( she'll stick the polaroid in a journal and tuck it back under her arms as she holds the camera carefully- it's not an expensive camera, but it's the only one she's got for this right now. )

--Did you hear about that, actually?

[partymagician]

I did!

[ He smiles softly. ]

I'm glad you'll no longer have to worry about being apart from those you've come to care for here.

[cheerfuldays]

Ehehe, yeah!

( looks at orion's narration though. it's possible she won't have to worry especially in one regard... )

I... you'll have to visit, okay? Hien too. If I could find a way, I'd tell you about our concerts too so you could see them.

[partymagician]

We'll definitely visit you. I'll make him take me around to a bunch of worlds.

[ So it will definitely happen!! ]

I'm sure that, between all of us here, we can find a way to communicate.

[cheerfuldays]

Mm, I'm sure we will. So, will you and Hien be traveling together?

[partymagician]

We will. He says that he won't go somewhere without me, so I think I'm stuck with him!

[ Doesn't sound like he minds, though. ]

[cheerfuldays]

Ehehe, I'm glad though. I know you two make each other happy, after all.

[partymagician]

[ He laughs softly. ]

We do.

[ ... ]

It's strange. A relationship was the last thing I expected to get out of this world.

[cheerfuldays]

... Yeah. It's kind of funny how that worked for us, isn't it?

[partymagician]

Are you happy, Shizuku? With Madara, I mean.

[ Because he has eyes. He can see what's going on between them. ]

[cheerfuldays]

( DAD!!!! he's right though. )

Mmhm. I'm really happy. But... we haven't talked about what this will mean for us yet. I know we'll work it out though.

[partymagician]

It will, I know it.

[ ... ]

I do hope you'll invite Hien and I to your wedding.

[cheerfuldays]

( FLUSTERED SQUEAK?!?!? )

[ignihidden]

[Idia will allow his picture to be taken, which is a Big Win, but then he is going to reach out and take Shizuku's hands in the Devoted Fan way.]

I- I know I probably will stand out in a normie world but- I promise I'll come see a MMJ! live!

... although Ortho would probably stand out more than me... should I make an alternate chassis? Or maybe make him look like a cosplayer...

[cheerfuldays]

( it's a huge win and she'll cherish it!

and then he takes her hands and she laughs, idia... )

I'll be sure to tell you as soon as possible! And I'd love to meet Ortho, too! ( real ortho, that is... memory ortho was sweet though. ) Ah... would something like an illusion work, though? Then you both wouldn't get much attention!