i am a cage in search of a bird

[crocodiline]

[ The figure inside the frosted glass snaps her fingers, and the glass falls away, sliding into grooves in the ground below. Inside, behind additional bulletproof glass, sits a woman, legs up on a transparent glass desk, absentmindedly petting a... whatever this thing is.

Say hello to your mastermind, everyone! ]

Hey there, everyone. Nice to talk to you in person - my name is Cipher, welcome to my city. Sorry I took so long to show up in person. No need to get up on my account - how about we talk business?

[ Let's drive. ]

Comments

[honeyedtea]

. . .

I was expecting you to look older.

[specialyellthing]

What's that supposed to mean--

[crocodiline]

What? Thought I'd be an old hag?

[ She winks at Mielle for good measure. ]

[sastruga]

...I'm not giving the jacket back.

[visiblepattern]

[Forrest is, for once, making an expression like he might actually feel sorry for the woman in front of them.

Not for the whole sordid backstory thing, or the emptiness, or anything else she's said, but just because oh my god.

Who.

Who left you in charge of your own hair, and who let you dress yourself this morning, because holy shit lady this isn't the way.

It doesn't have to be like this.]

[crocodiline]

[ honestly very possibly the only kind of pity she deserves at this point!!! ]

[capreelcious]

[ He's trying hard to not laugh at the bowlcut... but also "trying hard" is really not hard at all. He's actively snickering. ]

[crocodiline]

[ And, as everyone brutally and entirely fairly attacks her hair: ]

... Are you all twelve? Look, I'm not actually here to make you feel sorry for me, but this is... you could at least stay angry instead.

[specialyellthing]

Oh, don’ worry, I’m furious. [relentlessly so…]

But I can’t ignore the comedy in this either.

[sastruga]

Actually, as a teenager, it's pretty much my right to make fun of adults. Socially speaking, that is.

...And it does look very bad.

[capreelcious]

Naaaah. Dunking on you is way funnier.

[honeyedtea]

As it stands, you're a bit too pathetic for me to summon up any anger, I'm afraid. You're like a wet dog that's been left out in the rain - how low would I need to sink to inflict cruelty on you?

[ .... She says, as if that's not exactly what she's doing right now. ]

[howveryglib]

On a mostly unrelated note, where exactly is Eleanor? I was unable to find her after Forrest’s brush with death. I am well aware she assisted in his escape, so did you do something to her…?

[crocodiline]

... She's around here somewhere. I would like to request that whatever you do to me you not kill her, though.

[crocodiline]

[ Eventually, Cipher claps her hands. ]

Not to rush you, but your friends hiding out inside my supercomputer would probably like to see you and get this thing settled, so now that we're done going over my sad backstory or whatever...

I'm fine with anything you choose to do from here, but you should probably figure out what happens to me and what you all want to do from here.

[visiblepattern]

...I would like to suggest that this place should be destroyed. Not the Lutece machine, if there's any choice to preserve that, but otherwise nothing good has come of this place.

[He turns to Cipher, then.]

As for what happens to you... I decided a long time ago that I wasn't going to be the one to decide that. But please, please let me cut your hair before anything is actually done to you one way or the other.

[specialyellthing]

… You promise to help the girls?

[inaclearing]

[Brett looks anxious, running his hands over each other.]

I don't - it's you guys' call. I don't think I should be involved in this.

[sastruga]

...Can I ask for something... kind of random?

[capreelcious]

--Huh? Oh. Is it the fun violence part yet? Also can I get my magic and my other form back?

[ He's absolutely been zoned out for most of this conversation. ]

YOUR GOLDEN END, PT 1

[crocodiline]

[ After a while, Cipher hits a few buttons and doors open both in the exterior glass of the case and in her little box. ]

Take your time and pack up. And... well, it wouldn't be fair of me to not let them pack, too, after watching you all so patiently, so... Thinker, teleport the rest of them in here, would you kindly?

[ And, very suddenly, within this box, there are now 25 of you. ]

I've got a girl in a red hat to get in contact with so she can meet you topside. Let me know when you're ready to go.

[bootyhunter]

[To say that Dandy is actually surprised would be quite a stretch. Relief and gratitude are what take the place of anxiety and silent dread, two sensations that he wasn’t all too familiar with from all the times before.

In all fairness, he’s never allowed himself to sit with them for very long.

He’s fine, for the time being, and in a much better physical state than he was when anyone on the side of the living last saw him, with little regard for how he may or may not have made his mark on the survivors who remained. What’s important is that they’re safe and they’ve gotten what they needed out of their time with Cipher, and that he has a chance to enjoy the kind of love he’s sought for the greater portion of an eternity.

Dandy flashes one of his signature toothy grins, although there’s a little more behind it than usual.]

Well whaddya know, babies?

We’re free.

[If anyone wants to exchange well-wishes, it would be best to catch him soon.

From the moment he woke up in this place’s iteration of Limbo, he’s been dead set on getting the hell out of here. His memories of these events will grow muddled and weary, most likely, and he will slowly become detached from the other versions of himself once more.

All his significant ties will stay, as the people he loves have never really disappear from his consciousness, but everyone else?

Well, that’s what seeing-eye psychics are for, right?]

Babe! Say your goodbyes to whoever the hell you’re gonna miss, and we’re kissin’ this corny kitten-caboodle goodbye! It’s time to get back to the stuff of dreams, the mountains ‘n jiggly molehills with all SORTSA funky-shaped moles!

And that just so happens to be BooBies, baby!

[withagun]

—Whoa!!

[ The surprise of it all has Hodaka fall on his ass. Typical. ]

We- that was- instant!!

[dullshooter]

[Misfire arrives with a shudder.]

Ooh. That tingles.

[Anyway, he gives a wave to everyone he hasn't seen in a while.]

What's up, living losers? Great job on the everything - it was a ride, start to finish - but particularly the relentless hair-based bullying.

[And on that note, he turns to Cipher.]

So long as you're granting requests, mind if I make one? Kind of the least you could do for facilitating my own dismemberment, really.

WRAPUP

[bathymetric]

And like that, the Rapture dream was over, yet again. The citizens of New Rapture gathered their companions and their things about them, made arrangements, and prepared to leave. It was done. The city set to explode, they streamed up in the bathysphere to the surface. And for the first time in two months, the citizens of New Rapture saw the sky. It was night by then, the stars out in force, the single tower of New Rapture's entry lighthouse stark against the stars.

In front of them, a rift stood open, leading to... elsewhere. A young woman in red stepped out, and in a voice familiar to the dead, gestured them towards it.

"Hey, everyone. Wanna meet the others?"

Happy golden end, Unknown Seas.