There's always a lighthouse

[wheremst]

And just like that, you wake up in the basement of a lighthouse in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. There's a circle of 25 pods in the middle of the room, and two more in a room off to the side, and you can imagine who is in which.

An elevator to the side of the room leads up to the ground floor (or to the first sub-basement, if you want to check out the machine that brought you here), where you can for the first time in weeks look out a window and see the sky. Its a beautiful sunny day, with a strong breeze on the grassy ground of the island where the lighthouse stands. Have you ever been this happy to hear seagulls?

You're free. Whatever comes next, you're free and you won. Take some time to relish your victory, won't you? Reunite with friends you thought you had lost, go forth and just... well, enjoy this.

Comments

[bolderfell]

[Name a single redhead who doesn't cause him problems! Therion studies Zelos a moment with a measuring look.]

You're asking to go outside with me when there are several women around?

[pimpplan]

[ Yeah, ok, that gets a laugh out of him ]

Frankly, Therion, I'm insulted that you'd think so poorly of me. What do you think I've been doing all this time, especially with our new additions?

[bolderfell]

If one of those additions is Cassandra, don't bother.

[She is deep gay. Still, he moves back from the window, adjusts his scarf, nods, and heads doorward.]

[pimpplan]

Yeah, even I know when not to push it. Angel's on the fence, admittedly, but Carmen? She can steal my heart any time she wants to.

[ He clicks his tongue as he follows Therion out of the lighthouse, opting to lean against the side of the lighthouse unless he wants to go somewhere else. ]

That was some nice work down there. You might be easy to pick up, but you're hard to keep down.

[ yeah, he couldn't help himself. ]

[bolderfell]

[???]

...Agreeing to go outside with you isn't the same as letting you pick me up.

[Oh, no. Oh. No.]

[pimpplan]

... I mean, I wouldn't say no if you were interested.

[ He gives the most deliberate of winks. He's joking. He's absolutely joking. ]

I was talking about "picking up" in a more literal sense, though. Y'know, during the trial after mine.

[bolderfell]

...

[Realization hits like a rock.]

You all saw that?!

[pimpplan]

[ oops ]

Every trial. It got put on the screen in the lounge by our rooms every Friday. It was the only way we knew what was even going on with you guys.

[bolderfell]

[He buries his whole face in his scarf and groans into it.]

Could've lived without knowing this, thanks.

[pimpplan]

You asked.

[ He has such a shit eating grin on his face. ]

I'm serious, though. None of that stuff was easy. I'm thoroughly impressed you guys managed to make it through it all.

[bolderfell]

...My struggles with technology-- [And being small and easily lifted.] --aside, it's not even close to the worst thing I've survived. But I'm not going to say it wouldn't have been easier with more of you still with us.

[pimpplan]

No, I wouldn't have figured it would be, for you.

[ It's not an insult, promise! He legitimately means it. ]

It might've been easier, it might not've. The last few weeks on our side had a lot of arguing involved, so maybe you all dodged something by not having most of us around.

[bolderfell]

...We still had Birkin.

[pimpplan]

And you didn't have to sit in the trial room for three days listening to Rhea and Kirei going at it.

[ He pauses. ]

Besides, I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't appreciate his game. Depending on how things went, I'd have probably tried pulling the same thing.

[bolderfell]

Oooof course you would.

[He barks a quiet little laugh.]

Still can't believe you tried to tell me trust had to go both ways. The week you tried to kill us all, no less. The stones on you.

[pimpplan]

[ Despite himself, he can't help but smirk. ]

Hey, no one ever got anywhere by playing it safe. Besides, you still fell for it for a little, right? It wouldn't have fit my precious image if I just outright agreed with you.

[bolderfell]

Yeah, yeah. You had me fooled, too. Guess I have a blind spot when it comes to redheads telling lies.

[His gaze drifts away to some of the others who've left behind the lighthouse for the sun, instead.]

Still, even if neither of us believed it then... maybe there's something to it. Trusting people, I mean. Sometimes.

[pimpplan]

And here I thought you were just distracted by my good looks.

[ He's Joking. ]

Maybe there is. Looks like you learned that just enough to melt that cold heart of yours. I'm so proud of you, Therion, I could almost cry.

[bolderfell]

[Just this face.

Even if he's joking, Zelos's approval fills him with... nausea, mostly.]

[pimpplan]

Hey, you good? I didn't say something wrong, did I?

[ It wouldn't have been the first time! ]

[bolderfell]

...I'm going to assume you're joking. Unless you got your heart melted post-mortem, too.

[And that sounds like a medical issue.]

[pimpplan]

[ If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with heart melting after death, you may be entitled to compensation... ]

I've no idea what you're talking about! My heart's always been sweet and gooey on the inside.

[ He can't help himself. ]

Actually, I am serious. Looks like they put their faith in you for good reason.

[bolderfell]

[While he may have made progress on the whole trusting-and-being-trusted thing, Therion still can't handle statements like that unprepared. He tugs his scarf up, embarrassed and... well, weirded out, mostly. It's not even Zelos this time. He's just like this.]

..."They"? [...] Ema, I guess, and maybe Anna...

[pimpplan]

Seemed like a few more than just them, but okay.

[ He'll let it go. No sense breaking the poor dude. ]