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

[archboxer]

[She just stares at the ceiling for a while. Again? Again, she was denied? Ah, well. She doesn't mind being alive this time. Still, she doesn't stay here long. She needs to get out of this room where That Man is.

She eventually just heads outside and... finds a large rock to just sit on. She's staring up the sky, though.

Eventually, though, Rhea's nowhere to be found... or rather, not the 'Rhea' everyone is used to by now. Just a large creature curled around the top of the lighthouse. Just taking the sun in.]

rock

[emberserker]

Are you quite all right?

[Anna approaches, something in her hand, and fanning herself with the other.]

It's far too hot out, but compared to that facility, I suppose it's the better option.

[archboxer]

The heat I do not mind. It is quite nice.

[She is, after all, a lizard.]

...Otherwise, frankly, I do not know. I feel twice my age.

[emberserker]

I suppose in a second life, one would, wouldn't one?

[She opens her hand and looks at the shards of her earring.]

I do hope you've got an idea of where you're going from here out.

[archboxer]

I suppose. I am not old for my kind but...

[She eyes the earring. Ah... they both are in the same situation.]

Retiring, at least for the time being. Maybe that will be enough to sate Edelgard.

[emberserker]

I should hope so, if she wants you gone that badly. If your world's headed to disaster, there should be some way to iron it out.

[archboxer]

If she hates me personally that should help things along. I know there are policies that need changing as well and a new Archbishop could help that along.

[She just. Sighs.]

After that... I do not know.

[emberserker]

That makes the both of us. I know I wanted to win more than anything, destiny or not. I still do, but the entire thing was rigged, and... well. If I went back, I wouldn't be able to stop myself.

[When she told Rhea she was just as much a puppet as Angel...]

Which I hate, don't get me started. I still despise that girl for taking everything away. But at this point, she can have it.

[archboxer]

In the end we both killed for the same thing, Anna.

[What is a saint if there's no church (or cult)?]

If I cannot revive my mother then there is no reason for me to go back. Yet...

[emberserker]

...I'm not going to be the one who tells you you have all these other people who care about you and all these other things you could do. I know that when you only want one thing for so long, none of that matters anymore.

["You shouldn't be disappointed by the world that you see."

But she is. Is that so wrong?]

But if you have something, then go for it. You did seem happy sometimes.

[archboxer]

[She'd been going on that one thing for longer than Anna has. For longer than most people who were in the experiment were even alive. Yet.]

I suppose I was happy at times but it has been a long time since I was free of being the archbishop, of being Seiros, that I could not tell you exactly what it was.

[...]

That, perhaps, is a bit of a lie. I... do like trying to help people. [... She means being a mom. She likes mom-ing people.]

[emberserker]

Perhaps that's what she meant. Some people do feel more free like that. At least you weren't trying to go about saying everyone ought to. ...It is good, though. That you've got something.

[archboxer]

Perhaps. ...I do feel responsible for what happened to you. If I had only thought for a moment more.

rock

[philoxenia]

[ Hey, you.

Rhea's one of the people she feels a pressing need to talk to. Her feelings are... still complicated. Probably they always will be. But, you know... it's not enough to go through life like that. That's what Mira thinks, anyway. Maybe it works for some people, but not her. Even if Rhea had hurt her, she can never forget how much she cares about Rhea.

Nor does she want to. Rhea's important to her, and what's more... they can actually talk about whatever they need to. They have all the time in the world.

So. Hey, Rhea. How are you doing? ]

Is this spot taken?

[archboxer]

[She... feels tired. So tired. Yet when she sees Mira she feels something else. Guilt. Yet she still moves aside slightly.]

Not at all.

[She's really glad to see her but things are complicated on her end, too.]

I would understand if you did not want to see me.

[philoxenia]

If I didn't want to see you, I wouldn't have come to find you.

[ She says it simply enough--because that's just how it is. Mira takes a seat next to her on the rock... and gently, she leans against her. She can feel that guilt, and it makes her throat feel a little tighter.

She isn't surprised, though. ]

I missed you, you know.

[archboxer]

[She doesn't need her powers to sense the surprise. It's in the small way she jumps just slightly when she feels the familiar weight against her. Even before she went to her execution Rhea didn't have enough courage to properly address Mira, to give her hand one last squeeze.]

I...

[It really does take her by surprise.]

Missed you as well. [But why? Why would you want to be near me? After all I have done... after hurting you so?]

[philoxenia]

[ She's quiet for a little while. ]

... I can feel how surprised you are, and-- I understand why. And I am upset with you, at least in a way. [ The way she says it, she's-- well. She still doesn't know quite how to deal with that. ] But there are more important things than hanging onto those feelings.

... Even if I was hurt, I don't hate you. I thought about it for a while, to see if I could, and I found the answer. It took longer than I'd like to admit... but I certainly don't hate you. I care about you too much.

[archboxer]

[...Ah. This was the promise, wasn't it? To not become like her. Rhea would have clung to hate because it was easier than being hurt. That's why she was angry at Seteth, why it was so easy to consider killing--]

...

[She just stares up at the sky for a long while.]

I am glad that you managed to start down a different path. ['At least one of us could keep our promises.']

[philoxenia]

It's because of everyone I've met.

[ She puts her hand over Rhea's and gives it a gentle squeeze. ]

Including you, you know.

[archboxer]

At least I was of some use somewhere.

[...Just going to stare off into the sky. Mom, give her guidance plz.]

[philoxenia]

Rhea...

[ ... ]

Mom. [ Ah, there we go. ] I'm not about to let anything stop me from caring about you. I mean that.

[archboxer]

[...

....

...

...

rhea.exe has stopped working.]

You... me? [The mom is me???]

[philoxenia]

[ ... oh, did she overstep? She looks unsure. ]

Is that-- alright?

[archboxer]

I... am honored but I just... I am a terrible mother.