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

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*round 6

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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[The thing about suits in late winter in a fantasy land? Once you're out of Camazotz's tightly controlled environment, it's not that hot. Hiyori has procured from the train a historic green wool overcoat to swap in for his suit jacket. Everything else is the same.

So what's keeping his lower half warm? The white cat named Number Seven. Her blue eyes are full of terror at any moment that Hiyori lets up on rhythmically stroking her with his left hand.

His right hand is holding a pencil. Hiyori has staked out a plain side area for his seat at the table, to intently write something down. Occasionally he bites his lip and taps the pencil to the side of his cheek, but for the most part he seems content enough.]

I'm just writing out her schedule.

[Eventually the pad is put away into his briefcase, and the cat is pacing in a loop around his ankles and the legs of his chair. Hiyori has acquired some ramen, swirled the broth, gingerly plucked the piece of seaweed out between his chopsticks, watching the steam rise from it, entranced.]

...life is really strange, isn't it?

Edited 2020-03-03 01:10 (UTC)

[The ramen looks good. Eric is a weeb.]

...Yeah. But I don't want to hear that word ever again.

[The poor cat. It couldn't understand what had happened to get that it's a satisfying ending.]

She definitely needs you, though.

I know that it's... a bad word.

[He looks down at the cat. Carefully walks his fingers up to scritch her ears.]

I was selfish. Camazotz was still programmed as her home at the end because of me. [ :') ] Well, at least there's a bright side to the lease on my apartment presumably expiring by now! I need to find one without a no pets policy.

I don't know about that, I was pretty sure nothing else I tried was gonna work anyway.

[there comes a point where IT gets sick of one's shit]

Eesh, that sounds rough... [his one lucky break in life was inheriting a house. Though that was before Mundus.] Y-You do have someone who'd let you crash, though, right?

[This is definitely super hesitant though, he remembers the distance in family even as a child, and Ikuya... sure sounded like a toss-up, but he knows first hand now what IT can do to your perception of relationships.]

Edited 2020-03-03 04:26 (UTC)

[..................................record scratch noise]

I'm sure... Shimo U still exists in some form... and that means it has to still have a swim team... There's enough guys there to remember me...

[uh, oh. Looks like he made him nervous.]

That's got to be right! Everyone I know who's gone home from one of these death games found their home was the same as they'd left it. Although I don't know how to factor in the invisible Noise and Kyubeys and shit... but someone here will somehow take care of all that, right? There were so many cavalry members, I'm sure they have a plan.

Yeah, [and he really doesn't even seem to oppose the idea that the team assembled can prevent/reverse any apocalypses] but nobody else was like me and Link, right? Just like nobody else ended up in the same situation as Himeko Inaba-san...

[He looks up into the rafters, a soft smile on his face.]

I think that... Ikuya has to still be alive. Because... otherwise... Well. For one thing. They didn't hold back anything else that could make what we went through worse. It just wouldn't make sense.

Who?

[Eric lacks the omniscience part of godliness and in that respect Hiyori is closer to 707 in terms of ascendance. In any case, it doesn't seem important. There's still hope, after all.]

...It's a wonder they didn't even try to lie to you about that. Must be because no one knows him the way you do, don't you think?

[Eric is in love with love, so now that he has a clear head, he's ready to sparkle and be sappy.]

I think he's definitely out there longing for you to come back. You should go to him as soon as you can... you can always return here when you're done. The castle exists to keep the doors open, forever. Since none of us who created it can abandon our worlds either.

[did he mention that this is his universe? Now you know]

I think you have a point that a tale of his weakness would have rang false. Back then, I thought I knew the entire truth. It turns out that I was just the only one getting squished under IT's thumb that bad. [Wrinkles nose.] Along with Link, of course. Sorry, I'm really simply way too used to talking about both of us at once.

[Yet for all that authoritative chat about information, he's wide-eyed like the (late) teenager he is as he comes to nod at Eric's idea that he should go to Ikuya as soon as he can. Even that phrasing is a gentle one Hiyori appreciates in his still-shaken state...]

I... I can't keep living without knowing the truth. The whole truth. It's not wrong that - he really did start to change a few years ago. He was above everyone else, so he acted that way out of the pool too. Even above me. [A laugh that - seems pretty hurt and exhausted, more like a whimper.] But I'm pretty literally in a glass house there - I know how trauma can distance you from people. I've also been wondering if... [He removes his hand from the cat so his knuckles can tighten around the edge of the table.] I think that if I were... You know. More open with him. About just how I helped him so much. Then maybe he wouldn't have felt so alone at the top.

[Eric just shakes his head at the apology there. It's so unneeded, he gets what he means. He's a listening ear for the rest of that, noting the difficulties Hiyori might have with this weren't entirely in his head.]

Well that explains some of the stuff you said... but that sounds like a good start to me. It never hurts to let someone know you're there supporting them.

[Now that he knows Hiyoiku isn't necessarily going to be an easy fix, though, he feels like he shouldn't push the Ikuya subject for too long.]

But speaking of people you helped...it'd be nice if you became friends with that Sho guy too. I've barely got a clue what he's going back to after all that puppet bullshit, but you're probably the only one here who understands him.

[it seemed like he appreciated it a ton too??? Which Eric was glad for since he had to run after Link almost as soon as Hiyori had finished helping him.]

And of course, there's me too. Don't be a stranger.

Helped... Minamimoto...?

[Hiyori repeats this idea in faint wonder. It's not like he meant to hurt Sho instead, but he thinks of helping people as something he pushes himself to do, and this was so natural and easy. Maybe this is what Link meant about how to be nice.]

To be honest, I don't know very much about his old life either. Just enough to tell that before and during his time with the company, the two of us probably do have more in common than Link. [He smiles hard to himself.] Maybe it's better that way. We can get to know each other like normal people.

[Looking back up at Eric...]

I'll never miss a party at your amazing house, I can tell you that.

Good for the both of you.

[It's such a heartwarming smile, Eric even twinkles slightly. But he really has to wonder, was that juxtaposition of 'knowing each other like normal people' and 'casually reminding he really was also watching Eric's house' on purpose...this is still kinda cursed, even if Hiyori is no longer the cursed friend. He's just chuckling awkwardly at that.]

If you already know your way around, might as well not wait around for a party. W-We're not really the super social types, but I'm sure Mira would like you.

Oh... [Hiyori is sweating a little - could the quality of the house not be inferred by the beauty of the Hall of Beginnings? He's really lucky he hadn't observed his own world...]

She's, ah, certainly a woman who appreciates how much hard work is necessary to reach your dreams. [Which means she'd never hold certain things against Hiyori...] It could be nice to just... drop by. Like when the weather is nicer there than at home. You'd never get mad at someone for just—reading a book for a while, right, Eric? [There were Strangers who did, and that cut him deeper than he was prepared for. Eric makes him feel safe, takes an outright beneficent attitude that Hiyori soaks up with a bit of unfamiliarity.]

[The problem there is Eric didn't make the Hall - that one's on Alexis.

That sure is a lot of hesitance in his voice. Well, he supposes it's a normal reaction to be unsure if 'the serial killer I know would like you' is actually a compliment. He should just breeze over that as smoothly as he can manage.]

Yeah, sure. Read whatever books you want over there. She's got plenty of them, after all.

Whatever I want...

[The soft words give way to an even softer smile.]

It's been a long time since I was able to even think about having things for myself like that. Thank you, Eric. For always going out of your way, everything.

[Genuine smiles are so good... it's infectious enough that he returns it a bit. Although it's sad to think that he couldn't even choose his own books, this is a bit flustering.]

C'mon, you don't have to thank me that much.

[But that's only because of how much he went through before this point, isn't it? It all meant a great deal... and he was pretty scared of him before... but he really feels that he cares about him now. He hopes he keeps smiling like that. It moves him a bit, but he's not going to be spontaneous about this when there's a cat on him.]

How about a hug instead?

[Technically, Hiyori has already done this with Kei. But that just made him feel more self-conscious about how little hugging has been a part of his life. Having another person bring it up is different. It's nice. He wants to accept it confidently.]

...then I should get out of this bulky chair.

[Hiyori looks down at his feet first, and brings down his two hands to guide #7's path; she moves straight forward for a bit, until she ends up in a loop around the legs of the adjacent chair. Hiyori stands up, then, his overcoat falling straight around his limbs.]

Come at me?

[Thanks Number Seven for your patience and understanding. Good kitty. Even if that looping is bizarre enough to catch his attention for a brief moment before Hiyori gives him the green light. It's a little awkward for him too, but it's fine. He steps closer before he opens his arms]

There you go... [Eric's hands are flat against his back now, encircling his arms as it'd probably push them too close together if the shorter man were to reach over his shoulder. He'll still hold pretty tight with his arms. Hiyori is made of muscle, so he wants to make sure he feels it regardless. Probably a bit silly, but oh well. Eric gives good hugs, shut up.]

How's that?

['Feel better' is probably a ... tall order for a simple hug, but you know. Hopefully he likes this.]

[Eric's body is warm... Good to know this is separate from the searing heat of the light. Hiyori puts his hands up when asked his opinion, to feel some sides. They're soft!!]

This is... Nice. Really nice.

[He doesn't have any information streaming in about trajectories of incoming attacks. Just this feeling of Eric's reassurance. So much, that his grip lightens - Eric could break away easily, but he's good at this, he can decide when to stop.]

Yeah, it is...

[Well, honestly Hiyori's hand placement seems a bit stiff, or like he's trying to squish him. This is a more robotic hug than the kind he gets from an actual robot. But eh... he'll figure it out. Eric can still sense his genuine gratitude, so it's nice regardless. His sympathy is only growing though so he winds up gripping the wool a bit in his hand closer to the shoulder. Since he likes it so much, he will linger just a moment longer before he takes the lessening touch as a hint to release him. With the action substituting for the words, it still feels to him like everything important has been said. He'll just pat him on the shoulder with the hand he just took off him and then finally take a step back.]

Well... You'll know where to find me, Hiyori.

[ With everything that had happened upon their arrival here, Karma had gotten a fair bit distracted but it was only natural. Especially where it came to the thing with Nagisa and Naoya outside not too long ago before this, but sure enough, he did manage to find Hiyori all on his own and without that ridiculous sign from earlier. ]

It sure is. Though... I admit i'm curious to what got you thinking about that.

[ In one hand was some kind of fancy coffee, and he definitely seemed a bit more at ease than he'd been during that final fight against IT. This was a perfect opportunity to talk with the other, wasn't it? ]

You seem like you have a lot on your mind, so if you want to talk? I'm all ears.

Even if I didn't want to talk, I'd gladly pretend I did for a piece of that.

[Hiyori hooks his hand eagerly, "bring it on", back when Karma's at a distance.]

I was waiting for you, I already want to fall asleep.

[But as to actually talking, it's harder to keep that bravado up... He did get a lot done at that booth, though the hostility ratio was low that he's counting it as yet another pleasant surprise.]

I just never thought it would end this way. For so many months, brute force was the truth of the world for me. And to be honest, I'm still not sure [lips meandering like a worm, still not sure what's clearest] the bad guys didn't have firepower available to win. But my former master's philosophy was... [He finally hisses out with contempt.] So ass-backwards, as to be its own undoing.

[ That's enough to make him laugh softly, the sound light and amused as he held the drink up as if he were taunting but there's absolutely no malice or ill-willed in the action. He even came closer, so he could sit down across from Hiyori without so much as a pause. ]

Oh really? If I would have known how you liked yours, I would have brought you one too.

[ Karma took a good look at the little setup the other teen had going for him, a lazy, but comfortable smile on his face as he propped up one elbow on the table and rested his chin on the open palm. ]

Trying to make me feel guilty for taking my time coming over? I promise it wasn't deliberate, if that helps any. I... had something of a distraction earlier, you could say.

[ A very nice distraction and a bit brain-breaking all the same but that wasn't the focus here. He dropped any pretenses of teasing or joking now as he listened, letting off a soft hum after a moment. ]

That's one way to put it. [ A sigh. Karma closed his eyes briefly, debating something. ] Though I do have to agree with you. If your former master's philosophy had been anything different or less backwards, that whole mess could have gone a lot differently and we all might not be here now.

[ He took a sip of his drink, fingers tapping the side of the cup lightly. ]

How are you feeling, though? Now that you're a free man and all.

There's different flavors... of coffee...? It's more than... than something you're not energized when you don't have, huh...

[That's it. That's what gets to Hiyori. This detail about daily life that was taken away from him, that it's hard to immediately remember after so long in a swamp of efficiency. So long just manipulating people, thinking about what appointments he did and didn't have, that he's completely blindsided by the idea that Karma wouldn't get him something because he would only want to get something after knowing for sure Hiyori would like it. To the point that he ended up making this remark that could easily be taken in a way different from his intention, as "I waited for you so damn long, I reached another circadian rhythm cycle". He waves his hand, trying to puff away this idea, but - ugh, it's happening, tears are coming to his eyes, pressing his knuckles to his temple isn't making them go away. Hiyori lets out an icicle of breath.]

Sorry, it's just been a long time since I had to... even think about how much it hurt to—well. You know what. When I was in... a place I didn't anticipate staying long, I'd take it with... one cream and two sugars.

Mm-hm. There's a pretty wide variety of flavors if you can get your hands on them.

[ For so many weeks he'd gotten used to seeing the forced, brainwashed Hiyori that it was still so entirely different in getting to see the other teen's true, real emotions fully coming out. The first having been at that final trial, and now with catching sight of those very real tears welling up in Hiyori's eyes that stopped Karma short.

Shock even flashed across his face briefly, though it soon melted into something much softer as he smiled once more. A gentle one, to be sure. He then set his drink down on the table and made to stand in a fluid motion, one hand splayed on the table's surface. ]

No need to apologize. I get it.

[ He turned, looking over his shoulder at Hiyori, his smile turning into more of a grin now. ]

I'll be back in just a few minutes. [ So he heads off on his own and sure enough? He comes back pretty quickly with a cup of coffee that he moves to hold out to Hiyori without so much as a second thought. ] There. I put in exactly what you told me, so make sure to enjoy it.

[ There was something about his words and the look on his face that spoke so many volumes. He'd never just go out of his way to do this for anyone else. Right now was a rarity and he did it just because he figured Hiyori needed it now than ever; something simple that he hadn't the luxury of enjoying in some time. ]

Edited 2020-03-27 11:39 (UTC)

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Isn't this where.....

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