mingle: farewell

[cyclists]

Farewell
34 Revived

As the sun rises on Saturday morning, all will be quiet and still in the village. Not a single soul stirs as the sun and the moon linger in the sky, visible should anyone look.

A shimmer of stars spark through the air as a swirl of darkness lifts from the village. Everything has returned to as it once was, all 16 houses in-tact and all buildings precisely as they were before. Beams of light follow, soaring through the air and delivering every single participant back to this plane of existence.

As participants gather their wits and take in their surroundings, they'll find that a celebratory banquet has been prepared for them not unlike the one that originally greeted them. Decorations hang from the rafters and windows as lively music plays and can be heard in every part of the village. Some may even be able to trace the source to a gathering of musical instruments, and even...a turntable? Strange. All manner of fruits and vegetables appear to be perfect for harvest, and a variety of freshly cooked dishes from across many worlds can be found on display at the tables in the center. If you don't see your favorite dish? All of the ingredients can be found, along with amenities to make it yourself.

Surrounding the center of the village, several gateways open one by one, a soft gold glow emitting from them. No dangers linger in these parts, but adventure awaits those who wish to find it. Likewise, silver gateways open alongside these and serve as portals that allow participants to return to their homeworlds whenever they're ready.

Your Oracle Bells are in working condition, all messages saved from your time here and featuring a new network feature. Even as you leave this world, you're only 140 characters away from the friends you've come to cherish. Look around at those who join you today. Look hard enough, and you may even find some familiar faces you haven't seen for a very, very long time.

Though your time in this village draws to a close, the universe has settled and found a path to follow. You will always have a place here should you wish to return, and even when you depart for your next destination, your strength and power will follow you.

Your gratitude will be remembered, participants. Congratulations.



Happy endgame, friends! Thank you guys for a fun nine weeks! Here's a breakdown of what's happening in this post.

-All participants have been revived.
-All locations from the game have been opened, including the locations of the CYOAs.
-All characters' homeworlds can be visited.
-Castmates will be able to come through these world portals and play with the game's cast! So feel free to tag each other, etc.
-The Oracle Bells now have a universal network! We have a post over in the free-for-all meme comm so please just spam each other to your heart's content.
-All elemental powers will remain with characters when they leave! This includes their special skills.
-And yes, all injuries are healed and all characters will remember their time here.

In addition, we have a feedback post, love meme/friending meme, and tl;cr meme for your endgame needs. Your final CR chart is also up.

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Comments

[twinsightful]

a.) [Well, being alive has its perks including allowing Kaoru to get back to work. On the last day in the village, he will accost anyone he recognizes and flags them down to the boutique.]

You're not leaving dressed like that, are you? We have options. [And then there's a smile.] This is something of a special occasion, wouldn't you say?

b.) [Stepping through Kaoru's portal will reveal...an apartment building. The city is busy and loud, Bostonian streets bustling with springtime energy. This probably isn't what you were expecting, is it? Kaoru, on the other hand, just...laughs.]

Moving day. I almost forgot.

c. [Or even before that, you can find him around in the village, any of the portals, etc. It's a wildcard option.]

b because she's nosey?

[stillstands]

[ nope. this was not actually what she expecting. is this is a ridiculous rich boy apartment building? ]

America, wasn't it?

Come to think of it, do you know any English?

[twinsightful]

I've been practicing. [So. Sort of. Also yeah it's...an apartment set up as part of a student exchange so it's probably actually nice. But he seems content here as he looks at their surroundings.] I like languages, so it's not too terrible.

[stillstands]

[ Hmmm. And then, in English: ]

Enough to study in an English class?

[ But she switches back to Japanese quickly enough. ] They are, I like trying to figure them out. And it's good to be multilingual nowadays, with the world as open and connected as it is now.

[twinsightful]

[He lifts an eyebrow, but he answers easily enough in kind.]

Don't underestimate me. [But back to their original language...] I've studied a lot because they're easier to figure out than maths and sciences. It'll also help for whatever Hikaru and I decide to do after college. If at least one of us can do international business deals we'll make some progress.

[stillstands]

You'll be fine. English is tricky, but that's what makes it fun. And in terms of the art world, whatever you decide to do in it, having international connections is always important.

[ something about the idea of kaoru working internationally fits him well, when she considers it. ]

... Even in medicine, I guess. It won't hurt for me to keep up English practice as well, especially if I want to look into medical research.

[twinsightful]

Hikaru and I will probably follow our mom's footsteps and work on creating our own line instead of inheriting hers. It's a thought I've had, but he'll have to take care of the accounting parts. He's better with numbers.

[...but. Ah?] You hear about doctors who travel overseas all the time. It wouldn't hurt given that research is being conducted worldwide but information doesn't always travel quickly.

[stillstands]

That’d mean you’d be able to create your own style rather than having to adhere to what’s expected of hers, wouldn’t it? [ Thinking about big name designers she does actually know, there’s usually something about their styles that remains similar or is synonymous with their brand. It sounds confining, if the brand isn’t your own and you have to mould to fit it. ] That sounds tough, but fun as well.

Protocols are usually in English as well, but there are some Japanese run trials or sites based in Japan so there will be a number in Japanese too. But learning English just seems like a better idea, really. Especially for international conferences.

[twinsightful]

Yup. Her style's great, I don't mind that. Mom's really creative but I think Hikaru and I would try something different anyway. He doesn't have the patience for doing the actual work very often but we have a lot of similar tastes and ideas we could work out. [He wants to just do whatever he wants, more or less.]

How much practice have you had with English so far anyway? I could probably help you.

b

[coastal]

... this is Boston?

[she looks thoughtful as she glances around, confused]

It's noisy.

[twinsightful]

You get why the village was weird now, don't you? [But there's a grin.] It's noisy, but it's nice to be back. I've missed having access to whatever I've wanted.

[coastal]

Like the tablet!

[she's immediately looking around]

Show me more of your amenities.

[lili really is going to be steve jobs]

[twinsightful]

You could come into our apartment if you're really that curious. Hikaru and I have mostly unpacked and we have a little bit of everything. [He's not even waiting for an answer, he's turning already to lead her upstairs. Time to introduce Lili to everything modern and hopefully not run into his twin.]

I haven't been here for very long, so we're still learning our way around.

[coastal]

[sdlkfjsdf

well i guess she's following after??]

Oh right - you and your friends all just moved, didn't you?

[twinsightful]

Yeah. We were just about to see Haruhi's new apartment since Tamaki-senpai moved in next to her. Everyone else is probably there already. [And yet he's not in a rush to go see his friends just yet. They'll be there. This time is limited.

They approach the apartment and he opens the door, blatantly aware that he should maybe remind Hikaru to lock the door now that they're in more commoner territory. It's...very well furnished and somewhat elaborate as you'd expect for a few rich brats. There are a few boxes still to unpack but there's a television, Kaoru's laptop, a bunch of books, all of the kitchen appliances, and--]

Finally. [He's just striding across the room to grab his cell phone charger and plugging in his phone. He looks back at the doorway where Lili is.] It's bigger than our place, isn't it?

[coastal]

[ . . . . . . . hm.

that's.

a lot of stuff that she doesn't understand??? she watches him plug in his phone, but for a second she's just taking everything in. it's like an entirely foreign land, and she's rather glad that she's just with kaoru so she doesn't have to worry about breaking any propriety rules.]

... huh.

Yeah - but it's not like you're a commoner or anything.

[the size doesn't surprise her as much as the contents of it?? it's all so?? shiny???]

[twinsightful]

Obviously not. [He almost sounds offended by the idea...almost.] But even this is pretty small by our standards. We've never lived in an apartment before, so sharing with so many other people is a little weird. [He pauses then, giving her a curious look and beckoning her into the apartment with a tilt of his head.]

None of this looks familiar to you, does it? [Are there equivalents of any of this stuff where she's from? Somehow he doubts.]

a

[unfriendliest]

[ hey so guess who's still in the torn and bloody clothes from last night! to kara's credit, they're at least clothes that kaoru picked out before...?

he sighs, but it's more for appearances than anything. he's... glad, to see that kaoru is alright. ]

You're going to make me change again, aren't you.

[twinsightful]

[Hello Kara. There's an almost devious grin, but he also looks happy.]

Of course I am. I'm not sending you to say your final goodbyes looking like that. [He's half-tempted to grab Kara's wrist to drag him, but he simply gestures with his head for him to follow.]

...it's good to see you again.

[unfriendliest]

It doesn't matter if we're just going home anyway.

[ his heart's not really in the grouching, though, and he follows easily enough. ]

...You, too.

[twinsightful]

That's exactly why it matters. You don't think people will ask questions when you return? [Into the boutique they go, and it's funny to him to think about the last time he was in this place with Ookurikara. He's immediately eyeing the racks for a new pair of pants for him, first and foremost. It helps to keep him busy so he doesn't have to look him in the eye when he speaks again.]

Admittedly, I'm also glad to see that my plan worked even if, apparently, it wasn't actually needed. [Given how many bodies there were, yikes.] But it got you to where you needed to be.

[unfriendliest]

If anything, they'll ask what happened to my normal clothes.

[ since he. came in his battle attire. but those were thoroughly ruined, leaving only the scarf and haidate. everyone will be confused if he walks in, suddenly fashionable. ]

...It did work. You'd make a good strategist, with more training.

[ is he saying kaoru could be decent at war if he tried

that's

concerning ]

[twinsightful]

Then I hope you have a good cover story for that. Is it really going to be so strange? Upgrades aren't unusual, I think.

[That is a little concerning, but he looks a little surprised and also a little flattered to hear that even if he ends up giving and embarrassed laugh instead.] I think the only strategy I'll have to focus on is making sure Milord doesn't start planning a wedding. But...you gave me a chance when you didn't have to. I hadn't exactly given you a reason to trust my judgment before that. [A flip through the racks.] So, that means a little more than you know.

[unfriendliest]

They don't really happen, for us.

[ unless you count getting summoned by the saniwa after being lost or broken... but also swords only have two outfits? so? ]

I have another set at home. I'll just have to change before leaving again, so I'm ready for battle.

[ ... ]

I had enough reasons to trust you. And Lili would have been upset if I didn't, anyway.

[twinsightful]

Which is tragic if you think about it. [He still can't grasp the concept of only having a few outfits, but he's also not a sword or someone constantly in battle.] You're not going straight into another battle when you get back, are you? I think we all deserve a break.

[He's throwing a pair of black jeans at Kara then.] ...both of those may be true, but it was still your decision in the end. [Never mind that he's still pleased.] Have you spoken to her yet?