EPILOGUE

[faentasy]

Epilogue

After all is said and done, in the wake of the void and sprinting through one final door.

You come out into light. Sunlight actually, a backyard in what appears to be a typical suburban town, if you're familiar with those. The sun shines cheerfully overheard, blissfully unaware of what everyone has went through. And this is everyone, as faces you haven't seen in weeks tumble out in one pile from a basement door.

Happy Saturday, everyone.

There's plenty of reunions and catching up to do, but you've utterly left Aira Niluc behind you after seven long weeks. And through the window of the house which looks like it has seen a better seen better days is one wall mural that reads "And they all lived Happily Ever After".

[[ Happy Golden End everyone, you've earned it! There's still the matter of sorting out where to next, but everyone is whole and alive and without button eyes. Using the knowledge from the object Phil had and the beldam's magic, they can also now world hop only one side effect...the portal that opens to everyone else's worlds here? Is made entirely of pixie dust. Everyone's powers will also restore fully over the course of the next few hours. ]]

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[begrimed]

[ This is a dance for them, two people who also really don't care what other people think of their choices. ]

Of course, of course. [ Leaning in to steal a kiss when they turn. ] But where is love going to take us? Where do you want our love to take us?

[ This is really just a silly way of asking where she wants to go next because while Hamelin has some idea of what he wants, this whole choice thing is very confusing. ]

[sempiternel]

Where...?

[ She trails off into different branches of thought, all the different possibilities and dreams they’re allowed now, mind entirely elsewhere even as she keeps the beat with him here. ]

Oh, that’s a very good question. I was so focused on saving everyone that I... I hadn’t thought this far in terms of anything concrete. [ Unlike Tenn and Edelgard, who had very clear ideas of going home. ] Simply, I had wanted to be free to stay with you.

[ She hums. ]

I suppose... now that we’ve had our wishes granted, we should work on what your famiglia wants.

[begrimed]

OK, good. [ It's understated but judging by his smile, this is really what he wants to do. ]

I promised Monty I would help him, but the same goes for Jack too. [ An amused huff. ] I don't really have amazing powers though, compared to a lot of you.

[sempiternel]

Monty? [ First time she's heard that! ] Hehe, Monty...

[ The nickname sounds so cute and small. ]

As long as we're together, we'll figure something out, my love. Having my powers back is nice, but I learned to live without it and - it didn't give me you.

[begrimed]

Jack started calling him by his real name too.

[ He pulls her in close, and dips down in a kind of nuzzle. ]

I can believe in that. But just between us: it's kind of ah, confusing? But I'll manage with you, of course.

[ But he just needed to say it, cause he knows she'll get it. ]

[sempiternel]

[ Yuri has only barely dropped the title from McGillis’ name, but perhaps one day...

Ah, that’s nice. Hello there, dearest love. She turns into his warmth, pressing against him affectionately. There’s a voiceless sigh, then a vague hum - something distant to it, but she agrees nonetheless. ]

There is a lot to learn for us. [ About freedom and choices. A kiss wherever she can reach, then her next words are more present. ] We can focus on the non-confusing parts first?

[begrimed]

Mmhmm. So that's...finding a place to sleep and something to eat? Or just figuring out where this is. It doesn't matter to me either way, I don't think any of us are going anywhere just yet.

[ He's confident in that at least, and it'll be easier to talk when most people have gone their own way. ]

Oh, or maybe finishing this dance is first? [ A quick kiss and he picks it up again. ]

[sempiternel]

[ She blinks, coming back to herself completely at the kiss and then is startled into soft laughter as he ushers them to the beat again. ]

A bed for the both of us would be nice - [ At last! ] - though I see dear Jack is done with the waking world for the moment.

[begrimed]

They'll be no one voice in my ear to say we shouldn't be sleeping together~.

[ A glance at the tree where said blonde is currently sprawled. ]

Old men need their rest, you know?

[sempiternel]

We should have done it just to spite her. [ Just kidding... maybe. But she’ll never forgive the Beldam. ] I heard your room was connected to your office. It’s a shame I didn’t get to see it.

[ She glances over at Jack, too. ]

Older than us?

[begrimed]

[ A soft burst of laughter. If only. ]

You'll get to see every part of my new one.

...not older than us, but older than he looks. [ ... ] Just as jumbled up, as me, maybe.

[sempiternel]

Your new one - mm. No, our new one. But you may have your own office again.

[ She says it all lightly, including the next part: ]

Jack is Jack. [ Which seems to mean she thinks he’s fine the way he is. Or maybe that the jumbled part don’t matter to her and she doesn’t care if he makes sense to her or not. ] Are you worried about him?

[begrimed]

Oh? Yeah, of course.

[ "Our"...it's still weird to hear, but in a good way. ]

...yeah. He has an important wish, just like Monty. But his is...complicated? I don't think he'll be sticking around for too long once he catches up on his beauty sleep.

[sempiternel]

[ Ah. If that’s what he needs to do - ]

... But he’ll come back to us? How long until he does?

[begrimed]

I'll make him, we're gonna need to have a chat.

[ In McDonalds, in the ballpit. ]

[sempiternel]

[ In a Mc-what, touching what??? ]

He has to come back.

[ Like Hamelin, Yuri can't go back to her world just yet - or ever, maybe. All she has now are Hamelin, Jack, and McGillis. She can't lose any of them, she won't. She's finally allowed to be selfish and pick her people. They are hers. ]

Tell me the plan once you do?

[begrimed]

Plan? [ He is not a good planner... ]

I just need to give him another reminder about famiglia, that's all.

[sempiternel]

[ There were some hiccups in his last plan, but look at them now. Everything ended up fine. ]

And a gentle reminder, please, about coming back right after he’s done. Not a second later.

[ Or else Yuri will absolutely take advantage of all the world-hopping and drag him back. ]

[begrimed]

[ He'll do his best, that's for sure. ]

I might have to be a bit firm, cause old men can be stubborn. [ He says it airily, but there's a firm air about it all the same. ]

[sempiternel]

I believe in you.

[ And it has to count for something that Jack didn’t leave immediately; she likes to think it was something in Hamelin that did it, inspired some kind of loyalty, vague as it is. Blurred like everything that makes up Jack. ]

Your heart is certainly stubborn enough.

[begrimed]

Love, you might be the only one who does, but it's more than enough.

[ It's from the heart truly, the colors on his cheeks the slightest tint of a blush. ]

[sempiternel]

Mm, it’s an investment? [ A love investment? ] And - because you granted my wish.

[begrimed]

[ A light chuckle. ]

Ahh, but I'm really not a genie after all...but my love knows best? [ If he's somewhat bewildered it's entirely because he doesn't know how to deal with all this positive attention still. ]

[sempiternel]

I do know, but if you don’t, I’ll simply spend the rest of forever to show you. You granted my wishes all the time in that little office, Hamelin. All these little things add up to so much happiness - I feel as though I’m cheating in a way.

[ This is... a lot of happiness she’s not used to feeling. A lot of affection for multiple people rather than just one or two - and so much love for him, she feels it constantly. He was right earlier: this chance they’ve been given is precious, wondrous - but confusing. ]

May we replicate it for our new home?