15strangers | Isn't this where.....

REUNITED AT LAST

[Living and dead have reunited. That is all well and good. However, all these trains and cars and starships mean nothing by themselves - many of you may be wondering precisely where they are headed, and the answer presents itself soon in the form of a yawning portal in the middle of space. Yawning, calm, so as not to be mistaken with the writhing and twitching of the wefts - it seems to belong, or at least to be accepted as a cosmic inevitability. And this is what all of the dubious spacecrafts sail into for now - it is just barely large enough for all of them to go in one at a time, and to come out on the other side of the wormhole.

That appears to be some kind of airspace. Those curious about the place they're going may want to open the stained glass windows of the trains to get a much better view of the scenery they're descending on. The landscapes are mostly gorgeous, looking from a distance as though they were painted with watercolors, although some may think it also looks a bit, well, haphazardly patched together. For the trains, there is a floating dock above the land that looks brand new, and an elevator to take down to the ground. All other ships can find an easy landing space in the meadow, like the weird UFOs they are. Nevertheless, there is a path to follow from there, leading to a castle in the distance. It is a path lined with wonderful flowers and trees... and also a chaotic smattering of other trees that don't look like they quite belong. Sheets of dry lasagna make up the bark of the spaghetti trees, their inexplicably cooked pasta hanging like a weeping willow as marinara drips from their meatball fruit. The smell is overpowering, but don't let that ruin the trip. "In fact, it would be better if you let it work up an appetite", the cheerful voice of 707 suggests as he leads the pack up the trail like a hyperactive boy scout leader.

Finally, the doors of the castle open up. The halls are full of doors, each glowing from within - some of you may recognize the names of your homes, and others may not. But going past them, there is an enormous arch that is named The Hall of the Beginning as indicated by the carvings on it. Inside is a table that will be familiar to one of the strangers. It is the table that the original 15 Titled met at the beginning of Nirn, and it's overflowing with a feast even more grandiose than the last time. All of the drinks and cuisine you've been missing for so long is here - from sugar-spiced coffee and bubble tea, delicious scones as good as an aunt's, ridiculously spicy takeout wok, popcorn, philly cheesesteaks and the most perfect star shaped peanut-butter-jelly sandwiches known to man, a big toblerone on a long silver platter, three types of ramen, beer, so many grapes, melon bread, something labeled "dead chicken" that is obviously just a regular roast chicken.... it definitely seems like there were too many cooks here, but cooks with their heart in the right place. Some other favorites of the strangers will also be among the chaos if they look hard enough, but certainly, somewhere, it was deemed that they should have a celebration feast.

But then, you are not strangers any more, are you? Everyone here is a familiar face now, and there are even more familiar faces waiting around the table. The ones who wrote the letter, 707, Halley, Maka, Alexis, and Cardia are already there coming and going, but occasionally many others will stumble through one of the many doors. People from the games who had not fallen to IT. People from home, people you love. What we have here is a nexus and a party all in one. Here, there will be as much time for goodbyes as you like - or, as the hall suggests, new beginnings.]

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[Emma's a little more prepared for the tackle this time, although she still goes staggering back a couple of steps before properly catching him, holding him tightly enough to make it obvious she's here, warm and breathing and with a heartbeat, but still trying to be careful with him.]

B-be careful, Arthur, I saw what happened to you out there...!

[But that chiding is dulled by how happy she sounds, her voice shaking between laughter and tears as her own eyes well right up and spill over.

She is going to have the biggest headache later. She doesn't remember the last time she's cried this much in such a short period of time. But they're happy tears, genuinely happy and relieved, and she's not going to even try to stop them.

She just holds him for a while, a long while, both of them silent aside from the quiet sounds of their mutual breaking down as she buries her face into his shoulder.

Eventually, she speaks up, a wavering whisper by his ear.]

...I love you, too. I... that's not enough, is it? After all of that? But I...

[He listens to her heartbeat. Counts the beats. Warm and steady and here and alive, alive, alive, alive, alive, alive, alive.]

You heard.....you were listening.

[Somehow, that part hadn't sunk in yet. Despite every sign to tell him so. It just....didn't feel real, yet. Not until Emma, safe and warm in his arms.]

I'm so glad you're back, Emma...!

Mmhm. I couldn't tell you how, but they were broadcasting everything... [She loses herself to laughter for a moment.] And, well. You did make yourself rather hard to miss, you know?

[She could not sound fonder.]

I'm glad to be back. And glad you're okay...

...aha. Well. Mostly okay. [She pulls back a little to smile at him.] I'll have to see if I have my magic back. I can probably help with whatever's still ailing you if I do.

Broadcasting? [What is a broadcast. What are those. His grin gets brighter.] I am pretty good at being loud.

[And reckless. There was a lot of both "loud" and "reckless" from him during that fight. Shall we not talk about the reckless right this moment? He'll accept scolding later.]

I've already had like six healing potions... [Maybe? We stopped counting at four. And if we also ignore mental health trouble...] I just need to eat right, for a while. And - and I can, now.

Oh! Do you not know the term? It's when someone is recording something from far away, and...

...

Oh, never mind. I'll explain it later.

[She sighs, shaking her head with a smile.]

I can make it feel better, though. I know you'll be okay, but if you're going to keep throwing yourself at me, I'd like you to not be in pain.

But, you're right. For now, you need food. We both do. So, shall we?

Later it is. [He wants to know the thing but. Food first.]

I think it's mostly just aggravated because the bones were broken, but they healed quickly instead of naturally, so it's just kinda....confused? I dunno how magic healing works.

[The first EO game tries very hard to avoid making anything definitely magical, okay, he's a science child.]

Yeah! Finally real food... I could eat a tree!

I don't want to think about how long it would have taken for that to heal naturally, if at all. And, well... I'm not sure I can break down magic into logical steps for you. It's a process, but in a very different way than science is.

[She's going to let him go now, only to somewhat shyly take his hand.]

...Ahaha. Perhaps avoid eating trees? I think you've put enough strange things into your system. But I am going to get some vegetation into you.

[Emma will never stop hounding people to eat their veggies. It's just who she is as a person now. Blame her grandmother.]

A simple cracked ribs takes like six weeks... [It probably wasn't, but we'll never know now, so. Let's pretend it was that simple?

His hold on her hand is firm - not enough to hurt or anything, but. He's not letting go for a while.]

Fiiiine, vegetables too. [Wait look spaghetti trees??] Even those trees?

If it was simple. That's a big assumption. With how much weight you've lost, besides, who knows.

But, it's not really worth dwelling on right now.

[Once he's holding onto her and she has physical confirmation that this is Okay, she's happy to hold back just as firmly. She'll even offer an eager little squeeze as they head off.

...Wait, what trees? Emma pauses in her stride to look out.]

...Is. Is that pasta?

[Sorry, the answer will come when she's less baffled.]

Isn't this where.....

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