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[umbralant]

EPILOGUE

As the world they've been living in so long quickly dissolves around them, the oppressive air from the Gate fades away from their senses and their vision turns turns completely white. It only takes an instant for their sight to return, but when it does, they'll find themselves in the same dim, dank chamber that they were in a moment before albeit with several main differences: the Gate and the machines that were clustered near it are now gone.

However, you'll only be able to take in this sight for a few seconds before the scenery blurs and suddenly there's the scent of the cool December air brushing past your face, blinding sunlight assaulting the eyes.

It's been six weeks since you've seen anything but the night, so it may take a bit of adjustment before realizing that there's a number of very, very familiar faces before you, as well as one who might not be so recognizable. Either way, one thing is for sure: that long, long Night is over, and it's the start of another Day.

Witamy w Krakowie.

[[Everyone will find themselves in the Main Square. Furthermore, those who had body horror will find that all traces of it are gone!]]

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Comments

[inordertobelieve]

[ ..... ah. Right, he's going back to the middle ages. ]

Oh, in my world everyone is registered with the government from birth and can be tracked for all their lives unless they take illegal measures to disappear.

Someone with no prior records appearing would cause quite a lot of problems on Earth.

[drydrown]

...You can't be serious.

[WHY IS THE FUTURE CREEPY.]

It's nothing like that, but I assume that's because aside from a few Guild cities, the Empire owns the world.

[Like. Literally all of it. There is no immigration, because either you're from the Empire, or you're from Dahngrest or Nordipolica.]

People certainly can leave the Empire, but it's just a matter of declaring that you refuse all protection of the Empire and joining a Guild. And that's all.

[inordertobelieve]

[ Mikami also stares for a moment. All of this is weird. The difference in paperwork is sure something. ]

The lack of organization is going to kill me.

[ HELP?? ]

[drydrown]

I imagine Alexei would know more about that aspect of it than I would, but that's about the extent of it.

[...]

I'm not sure if I want you to meet Alexei or if that never needs to happen.

[inordertobelieve]

I suspect I will want to eventually. There is only so much I can do to support you if I cannot get all the details on how the structure behind your work functions.

[ He's not going to help you assassinate a man, but politically outwit is fair game. ]

[drydrown]

That's true; I suppose I can see about arranging an audience with him at some point.

[See, this is why he likes you.]

[inordertobelieve]

I'll see to it that I am versed in Terca Lumireis' history before then. It is of no use if I appear as a fool in front of him.

[ He will have to relearn a lifetime's worth of education. He hasn't crammed like that since law school which he absolutely speedran at inhuman velocity. ]

[drydrown]

I can help you with as much of it as you'd like. We're going to have time when we go to Halure, after all.

[inordertobelieve]

[ And there it is, a small fleeting smile. ]

I'm looking forward to that. It's going to be nice to spend time together without the threat of murder looming over us.

[ And without Shin's paintings. ]

[drydrown]

It will.

[Be nice to Shin's paintings...]

...You ought to come to the gardens with me before we leave here. I want to see what they look like during the day.

[inordertobelieve]

[ You know what, he's going to offer his hand to offer to pull Cumore up from the bench. While we're having this euphoric day of victory, he may as well do such absolutely crazy things as initiate even the slightest bit of affection! ]

Gladly. I don't understand anything about plants, but I would like to accompany you.

[drydrown]

[...Ah. This is. Nice? Weird. But nice. He'll accept it, anyway. And maybe not let go immediately once he's up, either. This is a thing we're doing.]

Honestly? I don't know that much about the plants here - they look similar to things we have, but some of them have different names. I just find them nice.

[inordertobelieve]

[ It indeed is. If Cumore isn't letting go, neither is Mikami. Even though he is painfully aware that he's now really tracing all those awfully cliched steps of a first love in junior high.

... then again, this is his first love, isn't it? He feels ridiculous. ]

For that you were very confident with all the poisons.

[drydrown]

[This is still so gross. He just doesn't mind it anymore.]

I spend a lot of time outdoors, Teru Mikami. If I'm going to be spending days in the woods with poisonous things I ought to at least know what they are.

The gardens are nice, however. It's nice to not have to deal with squirrels everywhere. Or filifolias.

[inordertobelieve]

The city I am from has even less fauna than Krakow. Though there are parks.

[ So, you know, his knowledge of plants and outdoor life is like... non-existent. His new life is going to be so so so much.

But for now he's holding hands as he walks to botanical gardens with his presumably boyfriend and camping is a concern for later. ]

It certainly suits you to be fond of flowers though.

[drydrown]

Do you think so...?

[...cumore you are constantly decorated with hearts and wear just like so much pink

you don't get to ask that.]

[inordertobelieve]

[ Have you smelled your own shampoo lately, Cumore. HAVE YOU LOOKED IN A MIRROR. Of course you have.

So, there. ]

Yes, certainly. You're fond of aesthetics like that, aren't you?

[drydrown]

I suppose. I don't lean into it nearly as much as Dist, however.

[inordertobelieve]

I think it's hard to top him in that regard.

[ But you two have a really similar vibe going to Mikami's untrained unfabulous eyes. ]

And I guess there is a reason you lean more towards cacti and nightshades than roses.

[drydrown]

...I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not, but I'm going to take it as one.

[...This city is a lot nicer during the day, isn't it, god.]

[inordertobelieve]

... I'm not sure either, this time. It's just something about you. I certainly don't mind it.

[ You're prickly and deeply poisonous but he's kind of beginning to enjoy this as well. He's also just in a great mood now and that never happens to him ever. They're out in the sun and entering a garden! In daylight! That's pretty much picture book levels of 'okay' that the world is being right now. It feels almost fake. ]

[drydrown]

I'd hope you don't, given all that we've been saying.

[Once they're there he'll actually bring Mikami to a stop for a moment; he figures this place is more relatively private and he wasn't particularly interested in doing this in front of god and everyone. (The devil and everyone?)

We're going to be kissing and you're going to like it, goddamn it.

It's sudden and not unlike that first time in his room, deep and sharp and edged with something almost desperate in its intensity; it's not something he'll be doing often out in the open, but today has been...well, it's been a lot, all right.]

[inordertobelieve]

[... ah. Mikami is surprised for just a moment. It hasn't quite caught up with him yet that this is a thing they're doing, that can just happen.... but then he melts into it very quickly. Cumore can have the lead and set the pace, but Mikami is going to wrap his arms around him and just hold him uncomfortably tight.

Today has indeed been a lot. It's been exhausting and terrifying and then elating in such a way that's almost terrifying again. They made it, they're alive and they're going to go home together. It's no longer a crazy fantasy Mikami clings to so it can give him structure. No, now it's imminent reality. And it feels good to affirm that.

It feels good to hold Cumore and to let the other have his way with him, too. Because Cumore takes what he wants and right now Mikami wants nothing more than to be taken from. This is his judgment, then. It's too merciful, truly.]