FINAL WEEK

[strangerpeople]

FINAL WEEK

[Well. What else can be said? The Little Courtesy is over. You have all survived. You are now going to your final destination-with invitations to boot. And Charlotte will be getting that private audience, as promised.

But it's not over. Everyone knows it. Confrontation is inevitable. The question is what, exactly, will happen when that confrontation happens-or if anyone will in fact be able to go with Charlotte when it happens. But you've gone this far. There's no turning back. There has to be a way.

Nothing has been certain, or simple. Whatever happens will be no different from the horrors of the Little Courtesy. Perhaps the saying might still hold. Will all be well? Will it?

It must. God help everyone if it isn't.

Seven is the Number, but there are nine strangers left in this place.]

Comments

[biddentodance]

[He listens. And he does try to match it up to his own story, try to process the lesson. But in the end, there's one huge difference.]

But that.... That's a mistake you could come back from. Could leave the group, make friends with the other dog, be forgiven...that sort of thing. The Fall-- ....even if I could make up for it, there's no time...

[unwittingking]

[The Fall? What could that mean...

Wait a second. Their talk on the first day...]

Minato, what did you do with that group, exactly?

[biddentodance]

[Ah. Here we go.]

....Choices ensured the end of my world. The end of everything.

[unwittingking]

[…okay, yeah, that's...kind of a hard thing to make up for.

But. There is one way to make up for it, hopefully.]

Please tell me there's some way to reverse.

[biddentodance]

[He shakes his head, and repeats the words that have been ringing in his head ever since Ryoji uttered them.]

The coming end can no longer be stopped...

[unwittingking]

[That is the literal worst answer he could've gotten. Causing the end of the world, and not able to do a thing about it...

The fact that he's only responding with a frustrated sigh and dragging a paw over his face is...probably a big sign of restraint.]

So, not only will I have to help take down a corrupt monarchy as well as possibly an even more corrupt resistance, but I need to drag Kitsune and a bunch of other celestial beings into saving an entire universe.

[He misses his normal, average life, when he didn't have to worry about the fates of different universes, just so he could help out a kid that accidentally caused the end of his world.]

[biddentodance]

Not your responsibility. Don't have to...

[And hope has been so hard to maintain, despite Caleb's efforts. The last thing Minato wants is to drag anyone else into his mess.]

Besides....might already be too late.

[unwittingking]

Yes, it is my responsibility. What kind of person would I be if I had connections to celestial beings and didn't call them to help save a world?

[Answer: A completely terrible, awful person, in his own opinion.

That second statement does get him a little worried, though.]

How...how would it be too late?

[biddentodance]

If they're mortal, the kind that protects them.

[He isn't sure whether King means aliens or angels, but either way....anything that can die will. He sighs heavily.]

If time's passed without me... Was New Year's Eve. Were told, no matter what, we wouldn't live to see spring. But if even one day passed without me, then-- only a month.

And it's been seven since the Vespertine, now. Caleb's been trying to tell me it'll be alright, but....isn't even a sure way back.