ritual 25 end

[thelastfirstborn]

WHO: friends :)
WHERE: the beach
WHEN: Day 74, long into the night

[ the cavern walls begin to recede—it seems they were, all this time, the spindly roots of that deep-sea creature—and you can see the starlit sky. ... though, perhaps some of you are busy remembering both sessions and reconciling the strange feeling of the timelines merging. ]


[ the uh . . . creatures . . . they're still around . . . but the baby jellyfish return to their kin as the tide rises to reclaim them. ]

Thank you.
[ with the ritual over, no longer do the words of We Many hurt to listen to—this language is certainly the common language in Sheep—but it's still perhaps a little bit unsettling to hear, for the words of We Many do not come in just one voice. instead, they echo from all the . . . the creatures, some of which seem to have shapeshifted right in front of your very eyes to manifest.

mouths?

. . . some look like human mouths. some look like fish mouths.

and their voices . . . sound like the voices of those who participated in this ritual. just . . . dozens of Angie and Azdaja and Odin and etc voices whispering their thanks . . . ]

Take this, Our gratitude.
[ they leave behind gifts for every flock and participating weed, , ,,, , . . . yayyyy. . .

the creatures of We Many recede back into the waters, leaving the jellyfish behind to glow in the shallows like stars.

Agonies will disappear upon eating the Special Questionable Fish Meat. However, even if you don't eat those, any injuries accrued will heal like normal, and status effects/things that don't just heal on their own will go away anywhere from half an IC day to 3 IC days later. ]

MAIN GAME POST | SCORING | REWARDS?

Comments

[mykidisthebest]

They never last long.

[leans closer, as close as he can without tipping himself into the tub]

[endsjustified]

[kneels up in the water to gather Lethe into his arms, tipping his head down into his scaled shoulder]

[mykidisthebest]

...

[wraps his arms around him and just breathes. there's a faint tremble running through him]

[endsjustified]

[it’s kind of a damp experience for Lethe, but. strokes his hair regardless]

You’re not alone with this.

[mykidisthebest]

[laughs the laugh of a guy who feels very much alone in this]

Thanks. Really.

[endsjustified]

[shhhh. soothing]

…what was he like? I’ve seen a few of your memories and such, but…

[mykidisthebest]

He...was the same as ever, as far as I could see. Diligent. Well-mannered and serious. He isn't always talkative, but he's very perceptive. I don't know much about how his life was before I regressed, though. We hadn't seen each other often in those last few years.

[endsjustified]

You were estranged, weren’t you?

[tugs him a little, coaxing him to join him in the water where they’ll be more comfortable]

[mykidisthebest]

[relents, shifting back so he can shed the rest of his clothes and join him in the water. he talks as he sets his clothes aside and slips into the tub, like he's digging through old memories]

You could say that. I certainly thought we were. There were still times when we'd see each other, every now and then, but it always turned into a fight. We're on much better terms now.

[endsjustified]

[draws him into his arms again once he’s in the water, coaxing Lethe to lean on him]

How did you change things in the second timeline?

[mykidisthebest]

[it takes a little bit of coaxing, but he does start to relax against him]

I was so relieved to see him alive that I completely forgot that we'd been arguing during that time. I hugged him and told him I loved him, and promised to live quietly and not cause him any trouble. The whole reason he was so against me awakening and becoming a Hunter was because he didn't want me to go inside of dungeons. At the time it seemed easy enough to do, as long as I wasn't causing him to worry.

[endsjustified]

[good. smooths a hand down his back over and over, an easy petting motion]

You didn’t actually end up living quietly, but you did end up preserving the relationship. But your original brother still died to save your life, somewhere back in the divergent timeline.

[mykidisthebest]

[takes his free hand, just to hold it, scales and all]

That's right. There was a lot more to it than that, but those are the basics.

[endsjustified]

I’m sorry.

Can you get him back?

[mykidisthebest]

[the silence stretches long enough that it might seem like he isn't going to answer.]

He's somewhere I can't reach.

[endsjustified]

…

Not ever?

[mykidisthebest]

Not through my own power.

[endsjustified]

That doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

[mykidisthebest]

Of course not. It's possible. But even once I get there, more complications would pop up. It's better to have a plan before trying anything.

[endsjustified]

Have you thought about what to do with your wish yet, if you get one…?

[mykidisthebest]

[hesitates a little too long before remembering he should respond]

Not yet. I'd rather not rely on more wishes if I can help it.

[endsjustified]

…understandable.

I’ll help you come up with a solution when it’s time, if you want.

[mykidisthebest]

That would be nice. I don't have to worry as much about what anyone here knows, compared to the people back home. So it's easier to brainstorm.

[endsjustified]

[kisses his temple]

All right.

For now, try to pay attention to me, not him. Not that I don’t understand, but there’s no use indulging a ghost that isn’t even a ghost. It’s just there to cause you pain.

[mykidisthebest]

[turns his head to look at him]

If I stare at you the whole time you're going to start feeling awkward.