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... 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.

[philoxenia]

[ She leans her head against Rhea's shoulder. ]

... Well... if you wanted... you have plenty of time to get better. With me. For what it's worth, I'm glad to have you.

[archboxer]

[She just. Puts her arm around her with far less grace than usual.]

There are so many more capable women... [It's more to herself or rather, probably to 'Mother'. Still.] Still... it would calm my heart to be near you.

[philoxenia]

[ She doesn't mind. Nor does she blame her. It's been a hell of a day, and more than that... She thinks Rhea must have worried over this moment, over seeing her. If she's eased some of that... then she's happy. ]

... A lot of us deserve better, you know. Including myself. [ It's-- strange to admit that. It occurs to her she hasn't before. ] If we're given a chance to change our own futures, without any sort of consequences, I think we're more than allowed to.

I'm going to Della's world with her... but before that, there's something I need to do. And if you want to come with me... I think I could really use your help.

[archboxer]

[...She's really not sure what to think but...]

If both her and you would not me staying in your lives... I wish to come along. Yet, if you need me for anything I will be more than happy to help.

[philoxenia]

I'm sure you could certainly ask her.

[ She nods. ]

... It's kind of a long story, but... we do have nothing but time, right?

[archboxer]

We do. If nothing else I am a good listener. Please... tell me.

[philoxenia]

Okay.

[ The... hesitation in her voice is probably a little strange, but. ]

Do you remember Alice's trial? ... I mentioned my powers there. Empathy, feeling and... influencing emotions. I don't like doing the latter, though; I don't like thinking about the fact that I can change how someone feels. [ ... ] A-anyway, in my world, people with powers...

They're shunned. My brother once explained it as a defense the world puts up. But that never rested well with me. A lot of things didn't, thinking about it. I just never wanted to doubt him. [ She pauses. Even if she's explained this before, it's still difficult. Her gaze shifts out, over the endless ocean. The look in her eyes--it's far away, distant. ] Rose received his journal from the vending machine. It explained so much. As it turns out, my brother was a sort of record-keeper for the gods.

[ And here is where her hesitation stems. Mira pauses again, wrestling with her worries, before she nods. ]

A very long time ago, they decided to play a game. They chose two people--Noah wrote that they referred to us as "champions"--and these were the conditions of the... game: If a champion netted themselves a kill, one point would go to the god who chose them. When that happened, things would sort of... reset.

[ She's bitter, as she relays this--and it's painfully obvious in her voice. She looks at Rhea, unsure, before she continues. It's this next part that really makes her nervous. ]

Well. A couple cycles in, I decided I didn't like that. So... I tried to end things at the source. [ Deicide! ] They didn't like that, and, well... the punishment was this: After each cycle, I'd lose my memories. My powers would be taken, and I received a new one. I used to wield the elements, actually. And... the world would alienate me.

... I've died so many times. I just don't remember it. So... Ema actually gave me the idea. I'm going to go talk to them, demand that they set things right. And if everything goes well... you could meet my brother.

[archboxer]

Yes... I do remember.

[Rhea is quite for all of this, thinking. She wished she knew this before she died but it probably was for the best that she hadn't. There's... a growling sound coming deep from her chest.]

These gods are not true gods. This not how a divinity should act. They are there to protect and guide not play around like children. You wish me to help you in this task. As the child of a goddess I do feel like I might be able to do some good in that area.

[philoxenia]

[ Is Rhea gonna punch some gods? She hopes so. But she doesn't say that; instead, she looks equally relieved and grateful. ]

... Thank you. [ That relief is strikingly obvious in those two words. ] They won't know what's coming, when you give them a piece of your mind.

[archboxer]

[The anger she feels isn't at Mira.]

No, certainly not. When you speak of them I understand why some of our fellows dislike gods. Mother would never do something so vile.

[philoxenia]

[ Thank goodness. ... It's still quite a lot, but she can handle that. ]

Well... hopefully with enough of us yelling at them, they'll change their tune. [ She leans against her again. ] ... Thank you.

[archboxer]

You are my daughter, are you not? [She... does seem to calm down now. She's even smiling a little.] I would rather bare my fangs at a clear threat than fight in a civil war.