lostcarnival | ⇨ EPILOGUE

Entry tags:

!event,
@the end

⇨ EPILOGUE

Who: Anyone who's ever been in the game before!
When: Day 143 and for the rest of time.
Where: The Ringmaster's Realm.
What: It's a time of reunions and also a time for goodbyes - for now, but probably not forever. This is the final official log for Lost Carnival, and it's potentially open to anybody who's played in the game. Thanks for everything!
Warnings: Is it safe? It's probably safe.

THE EVER AFTER↴

It's done. The Huntsman is gone and the Winter Queen has been cured of her self-inflicted condition. It will take time, but if things proceed well, it seems like they could end up with a sympathetic party in the Winter Throne. At the very least, guilt is a hell of a drug when it comes to getting someone's ear on important matters.

The damage that has been done is not something that can easily be fixed. Lives have been ruined or lost completely, and emotional wounds can last a lifetime. Yet, for the first time in eons there is a bold hope for the future - a hope for change in ways the Courts never knew they could.

There is so much to do in the aftermath that it will be years before any of it has been truly seen through. In the immediate hours and days following, however, the Ringmaster will be focused on seeing to the needs of her carnival. Or, at least, what was her carnival. She isn't sure what it is now. She'll probably always think of them as her family, even if they don't return the sentiment. Things are different now, are they not? They are no longer her followers, but the friends and peers she had always wished for in her previous life.

After they have finished their business in the Winter Court, she will bring them all back to the remains of her realm. They need time to rest, and time to think. As she begins the reconstruction of her world, she has a few announcements to make.

Firstly - all lingering contracts for those present are now considered paid. She will fulfill their wishes to the best of her ability regardless of how many days would have been left. Of course, it will take her a bit of time since they are all happening at once, but she'll be going down the list! All other contracts will be fulfilled or cancelled depending on individual situations, and whether or a person's connection to the carnival was still active. Otherwise they've probably been reset and their contract cancelled anyway.

Secondarily - she is unsure of the future of the carnival itself. With how much there is to do, she doesn't feel that she can simply run away again, no matter how easy that would be in comparison. Being one of the Miracles puts her in a unique position of power, and this time, she wants to do right by it. Her and Ignatius have some ideas, but it will probably be a while before they come to fruition. However, she will rebuilding her realm in a new shape, and everyone is welcome to stay there as long as they want. Alternatively, she will help them travel to wherever in the multiverse they'd like to go instead, and they will retain easy passage back to her realm whenever they wish to travel there. In the future they can probably even learn to world travel on their own!

Thirdly - she is going to be inviting back people who still had open contracts so that everyone can catch up and make decisions about going home. Not all of them will show up in this time, but she wanted to give them the opportunity. So, if friends or family went home but haven't been reset, they may possibly be arriving at the new Ringmaster realm to catch up. Otherwise, their contracts will be considered paid and they can stay at home. This mean, previously dropped characters can reappear in the realm to visit and get some closure.

As a final helpful gift, those who became Miracles will be able to edit the reality of the realm to their liking while she works on it. So, if you want to hang out and build some things, you are free to design and magically construct your own spaces like high-res Minecraft.

And that's only the beginning.

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Rita's speechless for a moment, but then there's a small twist in her expression, and she lets out a short, relieved laugh.

"Right... it's a stupid thing to worry about." And yet, it's something she'd been worrying over for some time. Incredible, how 9S could make all that anxiety vanish with just a few words. Not for the first time, she feels a sort of fluttering in her chest, a gentle warmth... This is what she was missing, for all that time they were separated.

"I want to tell you everything," she says with renewed eagerness. "But... maybe we should go somewhere more private first."

The people in town have given them plenty of space, but the great tree is a fairly public space, and Rita's arrival in town has drawn the eyes of many mages. Rita doubts they'd be as open-minded as 9S if they were to hear what she's become.

"Oh! Right."

In the wake of seeing Rita, he'd forgotten about everyone else. Maybe it's a good thing he didn't kiss her the moment he saw her...

"I'm staying at the inn here." The corner of his lip curls up in a wry smile. "Can you believe they're still charging for room and board at a time like this?"

Not that he had needed it, but it's just nicer to have a private room with beds to enter sleep mode in rather than out on the streets or the outskirts of town. There hadn't been anyone to look out for him except Pod 153, but in the interests of blending it had stayed silent. The loneliness had gnawed at him. He didn't even have an operator at the end of a spotty connection. But he held on, knowing he'd find Rita again eventually.

...Besides, beds are a comfy human invention he'd gotten used to while he was with the Carnival.

Turning, he gestures for Rita to follow him to the only inn in town. "This way."

That smile of his is answered with a grin of Rita's own. "You're lucky to find any room and board at a time like this," she retorts, though she doesn't try to hide the fact that she's happy he did. Rita always thought that she'd be the one to introduce 9S to Terca Lumireis, that he wouldn't be stuck fending for himself in an alien world... but he did, and he managed just fine. Maybe she should've had more faith in him.

"Is Pod with you?" she asks as they walk, hopeful. Despite following his trail, Rita doesn't know what 9S has been through, all this time... He's probably got some stories to tell, too.

"Yeah, Pod 153's here." He pats the side of his pack. No response. Well, Pod 153 is practically in sleep mode most of the time these days. "I thought it would be easier to blend in."

9S glances over meaningfully at Rita. There's no way she's actually returned to a human shape.

"There wasn't anyone to glamour us, so..." He trails off before he smiles, gesturing at his hood. "Well, us Scanners know how to figure things out if we can't get backup."

"Guess that's one way to do it," Rita says, looking him over thoughtfully. "I've been picking up a few new tricks here and there, so I can probably help you with that." A few new tricks is an understatement, but she'll get to elaborate before long.

There's a pause, and then she adds in a sobering tone, "Sorry... for leaving you alone for so long. I wanted to go back for you sooner, but..."

That's no surprise. He doesn't see the rest of the Carnival around, so...

9S shakes his head. "It's alright. The Carnival's always getting into trouble, isn't it?"

So he knew it would be a while before he'd get to see Rita again.

He pushes open the door to the inn, leading the way to the room he's staying in. "Is everything okay there?"

Rita's here so things must be alright, but... it would be nice to hear confirmation.

"Yeah... I mean, it is now, but for a while..."

As she enters the room, Rita doesn't hesitate to make herself at home, seating herself on the edge of the bed. Now that the other mages are well out of earshot, she might as well get right into it.

"...Back in Shabon, the Huntsman's forces completely overwhelmed us. We never stood a chance. Some of us put our hope in Ignatius. We returned his Heart, and even took the chance of contracting with him, all so he could negotiate for our safety... but it was no good. The Wyld Fae ripped him to pieces, the Huntsman killed the Ringmaster, and everyone who remained was rounded up and handed over to the Winter Court."

Everyone except for 9S, as it turned out.

9S, of course, sits himself next to Rita, the bed dipping lower thanks to his metal body. Listening to Rita's recount of what he missed out on, his reactions are clear on his face; a person wearing a 'blindfold' here would be pretty weird.

Concern and hope flicker across his face, before his expression settles on incredulity at the news of the Ringmaster's death -- she always seemed larger than life, unkillable -- and confusion. "Wait, what?"

Hold on, that's a lot to process. Give him a moment to unpack all that.

Just kidding. He's an android. It doesn't take long at all.

"Then how are you here? Is everyone on the run?"

Because he doesn't think they would have been able to fight the Winter Court and still be in one piece... especially without the Ringmaster or even Ignatius. They could barely fight and that's with the Ringmaster backing them. That's part of why they were always on the move, wasn't it?

The bed sinks slightly under 9S's weight, pulling Rita in a little closer to him. She doesn't seem to mind, of course. It's been far too long since they last sat together like this, watching videos or just talking... She missed this.

It's hard to think of an answer to his questions that would be reassuring, without taking far too long to explain, but for now she starts with, "Death doesn't mean the same thing for fae as it does for mortals. The Ringmaster was killed, but the Huntsman took what was left of her so he could control her when she revived. And Ignatius, even after what they did to him... he was able to lend us some of his power."

A wry smile tugs at her lips. "It probably sounds weird for me to say it, but... we wouldn't have made it without him."

???

"That's... a surprise," 9S begins slowly, gaze on Rita's smile.

Not that death doesn't mean the same thing for fae; it's different for androids, too. Or at least, YoRHa who were still connected to the Bunker. If anything, it had been weird to realise that while he was searching for Rita's world, if his black box were destroyed, that would be the end of him.

It just made it all the more amazing how incautious humans were with their lives.

No, it was just strange that... Well. "I thought you hated him." Did Ignatius only help them because of the situation? "But I guess it was that sort of desperate situation, huh?"

9S isn't sure how he feels about all this. A part of him wishes he'd been there, maybe he could have done something...

Reaching for Rita's hand, he continues, "Is his power why your resting body temperature is higher?"

Rita nods at 9S's conjecture, and that hint of a smile lingers until he asks that last question, then slowly fades.

"...We were prisoners of the Mother of Invention. She treated us like lab rats, and had her underlings experiment on us." She takes the hand he reached out to her with, threading her fingers between his as she considers how to continue. Then, she guides his hand to her chest, pressing it over her heart. There's no heartbeat. Only a constant heat emanating from a core burning deep within.

"They cut out my heart... then replaced it with an artificial one, one made from part of his heart."

It feels strange to say it, and even stranger that she can feel so calm while looking back on those horrific memories. Maybe it's because it's simply a fact that she's had plenty of time to deal with until now... It's hard to say for certain.

It doesn't matter how many times they do it, every time they hold hands it sends a frisson of joy through him. But that's quickly replaced by a stifled choking, 9S a little distracted from the seriousness of the situation by the fact Rita just put his hand on her chest.

"Uh," he starts artlessly before he gathers his wits and continues. "...I'm sorry I wasn't there with you. It sounds like you had a rough time." It's hard to express how he feels about all this, when... well, it's already over. It's already happened. "But even if you have an artificial heart," made of part of Ignatius', apparently!? "you're still you."

But the memory of that resistance member on his first descent to Earth floats to the forefront of his mind. The android who had all his parts replaced... except his leg. Wondering if he replaced the last part of him that was still orginal, if he would still be him.

He pushes that thought aside. But maybe Rita feels a little like that android? She'd seemed worried, earlier, about being 'less human'. And this isn't the first time.

"Would you be alright if I looked at it?"

It's not the first time 9S has had to reassure her of that, and it might not even be the last. But... it helps a little, hearing it.

"You want to look at it...?" Rita's cheeks redden, a look of uncertainty on her face. Right... with his ability to "hack" life forms, he could probably analyze the way this heart interacts with her body. It's something she vaguely wished for, back when the heart was new and painful and she didn't know if her body could withstand it. If 9S had been around then, he could have assuaged those fears...

But really, that's the first thing he thinks of doing? Sheesh, this guy...

"I-I mean, I guess it's fine if it's you..." Her voice trails off into a mumble. "I wish I knew more about how it works, myself."

Especially after her ascension... which she hasn't quite gotten around to mentioning yet.

If it had been anyone else expressing uncertainty or if it had been back when he first joined the Carnival, 9S would've scoffed and boasted about his abilities. But things have changed. He's changed. And, well... It's different when Rita has only one body that's biological.

Mostly.

"I'll be careful," he promises sincerely. And because he hasn't changed that much, he grins and adds, "I'm still the best Scanner around."

With his free hand, he holds her other hand - the one that isn't holding his hand to her chest - and squeezes it. Giving Rita time to relax - or at least settle into mild discomfort - he closes his eyes and...

"I'm hacking in."

He's not looking to take control, only to observe, and only to observe Rita's mechanical heart. Though the Ringmaster gave him the power to poke into biological beings' minds, rifling through Rita's head would be wrong. So he focuses his attention on the heart, examining its properties and how it connects to the rest of her.

Rita closes her eyes, focusing on the feeling of his touch. She trusts him, of course. And yet... she can't quite keep the heat from showing in her face.

What sits in Rita's chest seems to operate more like a small fusion reactor than an actual heart, and the fluid that flows from it is a substance of pure magic, a manifestation of the elements of fire and water. The strange core works in perfect harmony with Rita's body, as if it was always meant to be there.

That's not all that's different, though. In some bizarre way, Rita's genetic makeup has been largely rewritten into something more fae-like. Rita doesn't know how much he can discern about that from this scan, but... at least she already gave him a heads-up about how different she's become.

Fascinating.

Magic isn't his realm of expertise, but spend enough time with the fae and one picks up a thing or two. The first time they'd met seems so long ago. Him examining Juana and seeing the intricate weaving of biology and technology. And now he's seeing Rita's new heart, biology, technology, and fae magic interlocking seamlessly, like they were always meant to be.

"You know..." he begins once he's pulled out of hacking space, a thoughtful tone to his voice. "Your heart. It reminds me of a blastia," he lifts his hand away from Rita's chest, "and my black box. Your heart has a core that's kinda like a fusion reactor, just like mine. And it's a mix of magic, technology, and biology too, like a blastia." He can't help but let slip an excited grin. "The core converts energy perfectly, so it won't need maintenance and I think it might effectively last forever. It's a really elegant piece of work!"

Rita opens her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. "Is it? I guess there's nothing to worry about, then. Whether it's more like a blastia, or like you... that can't be a bad thing."

After all, blastia and 9S are Rita's two favorite things. There's no comparison that could make her happier than those.

"...Maybe it really will last forever," she goes on to add, almost dreamily. "Maybe we both will." 9S said before that he didn't want to live forever. But what if he didn't have to do it alone? Right now... Rita feels weirdly hopeful.

Rita's happy mood is catching; 9S can't help but smile in response. But... a little memory niggles at his mind. And he's not the sort who can easily let things that don't quite make sense go.

"Will we?" he begins, uncertain.

The last time they had talked about the brevity of her life in comparison to his potential lifespan... Well, it had been awkward, scary, even. To think about what life would be like without Rita. If he didn't shut down, that is. Though Rita had been upset at him when he'd said as much...

"Just because your heart might last forever doesn't mean the rest of you will."

Rita’s smile doesn’t fade.

“It will,” she says with certainty. But he probably won’t be satisfied with that. He should know why she can say that with such certainty. She sucks in a deep breath, and prepares herself to try and explain.

“It’s... a long story, but after we rescued the Ringmaster, we had all three fae artifacts gathered in one spot... and we were given a choice. To go on living as mortals, and maybe go back to a peaceful life someday, or to use the artifacts’ power to ascend into something more akin to fae. Something with immense magic power, and a seemingly endless lifespan.”

It’s okay. He said there’s nothing to worry about. That she’ll always be Rita to him.

“I’d like to say it was a hard choice, but... it wasn’t. I never really stopped thinking, you know, about that conversation we had... about what happens after I die. I thought... if you can't stand being alone, and I can't stand letting you shorten your life, then I'd have to find a way to lengthen mine.”

Rita's right; 9S absolutely isn't satisfied with that. That's what had gotten all his previous models into trouble, isn't it? Not being satisfied with statements without reason or evidence that didn't conflict with information he knows. He opens his mouth to protest, but immediately closes it when Rita starts her explanation.

And when she finishes, all that comes from his mouth is a dumbstruck, "Oh, Rita..."

He doesn't know what else to say; the enormity of what she's done renders him speechless. It's so incredible... Rita went to all this trouble for him? She's accomplished a seemingly impossible feat... all for him? His throat feels tight with emotion, his face feels hot, but overall he feels...

Happy.

In one sudden motion, he wraps his arms around her in a tight hug.

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⇨ EPILOGUE

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