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( DEPARTURE )
 At 6:00 PM on the dot, everyone who has died during the ritual will awaken in their respective beds. Whole and unscathed, it would be far too easy to say that everything has been nothing but a fever dream. But the truth, as always, is far different from what the heart yearns for. For the first time in five weeks, night falls over the City of Yuggoth. The sun no longer hangs over your heads, its presence dark and oppressing. Instead, a soft, blue light shines down from the sky. It's not quite the moon, no. The Unclean's avatar is still visible in the sky, after all. But it's comforting. It's the promise of new beginnings, of newly forged bonds, and pacts that neither heaven nor hell are capable of tearing down. Does this singular moment in time make everything they've been through worth it? No, probably not. But this is the end. Their journey is over. Now it's time for forty-one (41) individuals to choose their destination, while one (1) is left behind. The unmarked room between the Kitchen (still wrecked — thanks, Tsurugi) and Laundry room is now open. Faceless men will be giving away baseball caps, pens, keychains and all the splendor of Yuggoth, as well as glossy photos taken throughout the ritual... for most, it will be a photo of their dead body and the manner in which they died. Yikes. A toy machine has also been left here, with a sign that reads TELEGRAM FUND: DEPOSIT YOUR CLUE TOKENS SO EVERYONE CAN CONTACT THEIR FRIENDS. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE ANDERSEN, SO DON'T ASK. - ABIGAIL. Manning the Curio Shop won't be the only duties the faceless men have been relegated to, however. They'll be hunting down everyone but the new facilitator in order to give them a bus ticket. The destination and time of departure will be blank upon initially receiving it, but as soon as one thinks of where they want to go? Both fields will be filled in, and will be adjusted accordingly if anyone has a last minute change of heart. It seems like, in the end, it's up to the residents to decide whether to return home or to catch a ride with one of their new friends. Starting from 6:00 AM on Tuesday morning (a fact only discernible thanks to the Grandfather clocks, as the sun refuses to rise again), double decker buses will roll by the motel to pick residents up. There will be several buses, each one remaining at the entrance for fifteen minutes and the next one arriving after an hour long interval. Bus tickets will refuse to change after the first bus has arrived, so try not to be too indecisive lest you wish to remain in this realm or strike a deal with the Unclean. On the bright side, there are at least two to four days before everyone has returned home. May as well get those final goodbyes over with, right? It's a wrap, everyone! Thank you for the wild ride, and don't forget to check out the Love Meme and TL;CR Meme. You can use this post to thread out those last goodbyes. ic rulebook | locations | statuses | room assignments private conversations | ic profiles | graveyard | full navigation |
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[ suddenly, percival's hands reaching behind his neck -- his fingers nimbly grasp at the necklace he's worn since week 0. the golden chain is motioned towards andersen. ]
It's an age old heirloom passed down throughout the Wales family. Keep it until we meet again.
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[ it's a locket, he means to say. and if andersen is to open it, he'll discover four, very small compact locks of hair -- each bound by a thin ribbon. each a different color. ]
I never thought to tell you the details of my personal life, but my father was something akin to a Facilitator. He contracted with an otherworldly being...and waged wars in order to satiate its bloodlust. All of those lives had been claimed for an incentive...and I only stopped the cycle, let alone realized years after he had passed.
[ it's fitting, isn't it? ]
I already told you: you can return it when we meet again.
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[ percival's brows knit together, and his expression twitches with sorrow -- he represses it, not allowing his features to become sullen...but if you look closely enough, you can see it swimming in his eyes. ]
The being...latched onto my eldest brother as well. He attempted to open a portal to the otherworld...but we were able to save him in time.
There's still hope. I know that -- I've seen it.
[ but he swallows it down, all of the regret, sympathy, fear and sorrow. percival's features steel.
losing yourself...is the worst fate imaginable, isn't it? ]
Understood. It's a promise.
[ this isn't the note he wants to end on, however. a smile, confident and ablaze, inches across his lips. ]
...I have something else for you -- it was more of a collective effort.
1/6
Oi. Get in here -- all of you.
[ there is...a sudden series of grunts, and within a timeframe of 1-2 minutes, percival reappears with 3 hooligans physically latched onto him. please disregard the bashful pout on his face, andersen. ]
2/6
but that's not all! instead of handing it over, she cracks open the book, and begins to speak.
speak? no, there's a more accurate word here.
she begins to read. ]
Once upon a time… there was a lone mama bird. It all started with a quiet nest. A mama bird had gone out to hunt for her young. When she came back, the nest was still and empty. No matter how much she called, her four young didn’t come back. She had to go on a journey and find them herself. The first one left a clue for her, and it was a pink feather by a bookstore.
[ hajime holds the book out, for the next person to take. ]
3/6
A bookstore! She would know the sign of this child anywhere. So she slipped in through the doors, peering around every corner and shelf, softly calling out her young’s name. Until - there she was, content in the notebooks, making herself a fine little space to sit. But to see her mother, she flew up in joy, and the two were reunited with song as the pink bird showed her the beauty she had found. It had been worth the journey, certainly.
[grinning, she continues on.]
Still, three children were to be found in the world. So the mother bird and her first child flew, the wind under her wings pushing her in the direction that she had to go, the current’s rise and fall telling her what was the true path. Until she could find another feather, another clue - one feather of glossy black caught in a piece of silk. Her children had been here, she knew, and she was drifting ever closer.
4/6
She explored, finding herself in a drab alleyway. She thought to herself, “this is a place unfit for my young.” As she called out to them, her voice echoed back, and she realized how lonely she was in that moment. How sad it was to be without her brood. When she heard a call back, she rushed to where it came from and found her second lost chick. A laundromat! She was tangled and wrapped in fine linens, struggling and writhing to peck her way out. The black bird cooed as she unraveled her and laid her threadbare, and what she found was a fighting spirit worth capturing.
There were two children left to be found. The mother bird and her pink and black children took flight, and the winds took them to the edges of the earth. The third feather was hard to see — it was gossamer and tattered, but her keen eye could pick it out anywhere. The fine baby blue was nestled on a powerline, plumes tethered to the cold metal.
[ she then passes it over to percival. ]
5/6
The tenacious baby blue withdraws at the sight of her mother; her eyes, stormy and small, conceal a world’s worth of secrets. Concern overtakes the mother, and she perches herself atop the powerline -- but the closer the mother draws, the further the baby blue inches away. The other daughters, pink and black, follow suit -- their approaches differ greatly, however. The pink youngling chirps with a small hop as she beckons the blue to spread her wings and join them, whereas the second daughter, feathers much like an onyx, gently pecks at her wings.
The mother opts to do little more than spectate with a tilt of the head...somewhat irritated, it seems -- and yet she does not leave. A mother will wait as long as she must. In due time, the baby blue resigns and slowly spreads her wings to reveal a wooden splinter wedged within the crevices of her feathers; she quietly rumbles with pain. And so the three endeavor to pull the splinter out with their beaks. The baby blue is as free as the very sky she resembles, and the mother’s eyes are kind all the while.
One child remains -- and from afar, the mother spots a crimson feather that flickers like a flame atop the roof of a lavish building that towers over the trees.
[ his gaze is alight as he passes the book to hajime again. ]
6/6!
Out of all of the mama bird’s babies, the red one is the most proud. It’s plumage was known far and wide for its vibrancy, like scorching flames. With a personality to match, was it any wonder it wouldn’t seek out injustice? With a strong flap to it’s wings, it’d invaded the lavish building and swooped in to find the ones most guilty. The mama bird had no choice but to gather her beloved flock and follow! Through the fire place’s tunnel they traversed, soaring through in search of their eldest brother. There was a commotion like no other inside!!! A giant cage, full of birdies of all colors and types. It was incredibly sad, and mama bird's heart knew what she had to do when this was revealed to her. And it was impossible to miss him, her baby red - he’d truly cut through to the bad guys and wouldn’t rest until the wrongs had been righted.
It all came together then. The clues, left behind feathers, and what they had led her to… her children, each a different color but just as tenacious as the last had all made sure that they’d end up here with her. With that in mind, it was clear to see that what was happening with this building was not to be ignored. She flapped her great wings and scooped up her babies, refusing to let the horrible birdcage that had been revealed hold any of them captive. With a deft beak, she opened the doors of the cage, and a rainbow of colors soard out!!! When it was all over … she locked it again, and the noise of humanity continued on in the background as the flock of birds began to watch. She refused to let any of them near even as people threatened to put her inside it. With wings unclipped, she took her children away from away that place. It still stood, much to the red one’s chagrin, but the cage was locked and when they returned to their nest…
The mama bird revealed one secret: she kept the key with herself.
[ closing the book, hajime hums idly. ] We worked really hard on it. What do you think?
[ .... and she can't help it - just like last time, despite the smile, the tears well up, pool at the corners of her eyes and flow like twin rivers. watch out percival! she leaps off his shoulders to jump at andersen, arms wide open for a hug from above. ]
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but instead, he laughs. not maliciously -- but out of joy. ]
Pfft..haha...hahahaha...!!
[ the smile on his face is foreign; genuine and sweet. percival reaches for the book and gestures it towards andersen. ]
It's yours to keep. I've always been more of a reader than a writer but...
[ he chuckles again. ]
You've inspired me, I suppose.
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[ she'll bound over to the pile that was hajime and andersen to check on him. she reaches down to rustle his hair, a soft smile on her face. ]
You can give harsher criticism than that, I know. How's the pacing? The denouement? [ her voice quiets to a whisper. ] I really do hope you'll remember us.
[ andersen didn't know it, but he had done more for her than almost anyone she had ever met in her life. and she would never forget that. not ever. ]
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[an answer casually tossed out to help her stop this feeling in her chest from expanding outward too much. but she detaches from Percival long enough to come over, crouching down to see that expression that Andersen is trying so hard to hide.
brown, black, blonde, and red. hair corresponding to the four around him with looks of actual care on their faces.]
Actually, if you forget us, I'll curse you and your whole...whatever this place will be under you. How's that for a memory aid?
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Andie! I knew you loved us all along... I knew it, I knew it... [ popping up like a daisy, she looks down at him for a moment. there for her when she was lost, bumbling around in the dark and feeling sorry for hana after the first trial. there for her with poison her belly and her head in his lap as the world went silent all around her. horrific memories, and yet...
it's the bright colors nestled in his shirt pocket she remembers most. this man secured her life and made sure she was safe for a week more. the people here the ones whose hands wrote that story for him... they were friends, partners. equals. nearly died alongside percival and quer, slept in the same bed with heather for two weeks and held each other tight when thursday nights came, and andersen... gave her a new life.
she moves to attempt to pull on heather and quer, to try and drag them into the pile. ] None of us are going to forget each other.
[ there's a chunk of dark brown hair at ends right at the top of her cheekbone. lopped off earlier that day, tied together with red, blonde, black. it's a whole rainbow, a catastrophic blend of color. the mark of the end of a chapter. ]
Spring always blooms again! We love you, Andie! Don't forget us!!
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he doesn't know what to do with this -- with any of it. these were the feelings he stowed away, long, long ago. but when andersen beckons him over, percival's body begins to move on its own. his heart steps forward and not his mind.
two arms are wrapped around all of them, pulling them into a large, wholesome embrace. for the first time in years...after 20 years, something begins to well in percival's eyes. he prays that no one notices -- or at least speaks on it.
but andersen forfeited so much for his sake. just like his mother, he's given away his life for his. he couldn't forget that, even if he took a scrubbrush to his mind. he could never.
it hurts to know he'll have to leave. but it heals some part of him to know that he was able to love and be loved, even in these times. ]
Thank you. Till we meet again.
[ is all he can muster. ]
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for some reason, she can't help but laugh. she keeps laughing and laughing and wiggling around while pulled into their hug, happy to be this close to other people after so long. to her beloved friends. she can't even say anything, because who cared about words? right now, she was sure.. for the first time in so long. she was sure that she was happy. they didn't just dull her pain. they made her feel wanted and loved.
and now, wreathed in their embrace, her only wish was to see the sun come up together. if anyone asked, she'd say she was the biggest pessimist she'd ever met, but somehow.. she just knows they'll see each other again. so she isn't worried. she just wanted to relish the time they had together.
as.. a family, maybe. ]
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to see them is seeing her sister free from ice, is the feeling of being faster when flying with the wind, is song and flock returning to each other. it doesn't matter whose shoulder she buries her face into, but this embrace is a promise. she's heard stories of souls tied together across realms, and usually this is reserved for lovers. but perhaps it can simply be true for those you care about enough that a realm is an idea to be passed through with enough force.
right now, she doesn't feel angry, bitter, anything like that. something pulled taut allowed to finally relax, and her not caring how many laws it might step on to care for a human like this. she understands why someone would let go of powers they held for a thousand years to revive a soul, and if Quer's eyes sting a bit - they can pretend that didn't happen.
when she's gone colder, when her heart doesn't beat in her chest anymore, when she doesn't bleed anymore, she hopes that they can hold each other like this, and maybe magic will be made again to restore all of this.]
Soon. See you soon.