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happyhollow-mellowmarsh · 2 years

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As Bright as the Sun | Mallory + Hex | Final Epilogue

Two years had passed since the game had ended, and Mallory had definitely adapted. Standing was no problem, running was no problem… she was pretty much as rehabilitated as she was going to get. After she’d ever-so-hesitantly requested training from Kendall, she’d even gotten quite used to tapping into her vampire powers. Thus, with that and her access to magic combined, she was arguably one of the more powerful beings in existence. If you pointed that much out to her, however, she’d vehemently deny it.

It was 11 PM as Mallory pulled a roast chicken out of the oven, the rosemary scent wafting through the open space, much larger than her cottage once had been. Where a small glass table once sat, a full dining table filled its place. Granted, while she rarely saw it completely filled, it commonly housed two particular people. In the back corner beside the fridge, the sound of snoring echoed as a pile of fist-sized spiders napped, soaking in the cool temperature the device emanated.

She placed the chicken beside the window as she began to carve into it, admiring the view of the illusory sun lighting up the area above her cottage. Upon her request, the living spaces for Fran and Monty weren’t subjected to the midnight sun, so they were still able to sleep properly at night should they ever find the need to stay over.

Not long after she’d started separating pieces onto plates and into storage containers, a door to one of the newly-added rooms cracked open as none other than Hex entered the main living space, looking notably more tired than usual, though just slightly less annoyed as well. Notably, the scarf that used to cover his face was still present, but now hanging looser around his neck in a more casual manner. His hand moved to his pocket, ensuring that something was secure within it.

Mallory tilted her head away from the meal, eyes fixed onto Hex’s form, instead. She pressed the knife back to the counter, her smile a replica of the sun in itself. “Gabriel! Have you made any breakthroughs? I was about ready to join you and, ah… deliver food. If you wanted some, at least…!”

With a yawn, Hex begun to walk over to Mallory before he gave her a light peck on the check (made easier by the fact that he seemed just a Bit taller than he had been during the events of the game). His own face flushed at the action and he had to look away for just a moment, somehow still not used to being brave enough to do it in the first place, but he doesn't leave her questions unanswered as he looks back to her stunningly beautiful face.

"I'm making good progress lately at least, though I was working on something else just now. I already had some scrapped ideas to look through from... before anyhow that I found recently, so adapting them to be more sustainable seems like a decent line of planning for clean energy." Finally putting some use into the technology he'd gone through the effort of researching for the time machine that had caused the events of the past.

"I've had some new ideas too for what to do too, but... I wouldn't mind taking a break with you here instead. I probably need it, even with the peace we've had since the others finally moved out," he admits. His look softened just a bit. "I've always loved your cooking, and I wouldn't turn it down even if I wasn't feeling hungry just yet."

Still holding her cheek where Hex had made contact just a moment before, the rare act of initiation on his end did bring the memory to the forefront of her mind of when she’d initially confessed, six months after the game’s conclusion. Much to the chagrin of some of the apprentices, certainly, but Mallory had not let that stop her from nagging him to make things right by them all.

However, taking note of the generator summary, Mallory nodded. Progress was readily making way over the years, and they’d both made true to their promises thus far. She didn’t know it yet, but they still had about 8 years left ahead of them when it came to the generator. Little pieces of the puzzle chipped away over the years, sandwiched between the mentoring and the community service (though while not required to, Mallory gladly offered to take part in).

“Yes… How long have you been working, actually? I know you were at it when I went to bed last morning. I think a break’s well-deserved.” Learning to swap her lingo along with becoming nocturnal had been a struggle, but it eventually became second nature.

Mallory beamed, taking a few additional stored dishes off of the stove to prepare a plate. With swift and experienced hands, she also uncorked an unlabeled bottle, pouring the crimson liquid into the glass. In a second glass, she poured out a green tea. Two equally high-class glasses for drinks that were more than a little bit insulting for their container. Soon enough, food was on the table and she sat herself down.

The pause gave her a little time for her eyes to linger on his face, now that she could see more of it every day. Repetition might have bored others, but her heart fluttered as if this were a first crush nearly every time they were alone together. How childish, she might have scolded herself if she weren’t so happy.

“Longer than I should have been. I was working since before that too.” Hex admitted once more. He’d definitely been working for the better part of a full 24 hours at the very least hcsiuhs.

As Mallory readied the food and drinks, Hex helped to set the table, though between just the two of them there wasn’t much work to be done. As he went to join Mallory seated at the table, Hex cleared his throat and pulled out something from his pocket to hold in his hand.

“Before we start eating though, I have a gift for you, Odile. You already have the illusory sun here in the swamp, but I thought that something more… personal might serve you well, too, to take with you where you’d want to, or just to hold close.”

Hex opened his hand, and from inside it… a miniature sun floated forth, brightening the room and casting it in a pleasant warmth that they both could feel to their cores without hurting Mallory at all. It rose towards the ceiling between them on the table for a moment, before with a wave it descended again and formed into a golden necklace with a sun pendant that pooled in her hands, the light now dimmer but the slight gentle warmth still present in it.

“Whenever you need a little more light in your life… just activate it, wherever you are. I doubt it can light up a room quite as much as your smile can, but I made an effort.”

Itching out for the necklace, Mallory involuntarily squeaked. She was on the edge of crying, as she often was, a red tint to her cheeks reflecting a rise in internal temperature. With a shaky hand, Mallory took the necklace and clasped it in her hands, holding it to her chest.

“... I-It felt warm. I could feel it.”

Mallory sniffed and lifted her hair as she attempted to clasp it behind her neck, narrowly missing the loop each time she tried to secure it into place. A few tears rolled off of her cheeks, sending ripples into her wine glass. The motion catching her eye, Mallory stifled a laugh, feeling more than a little bit like a mess. Click. She secured the chain in place and looked back over to Hex.

Mallory leapt up to her feet and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, resting her forehead on the loops of his scarf. The fabric soaked up what few tears fell as she closed her eyes.

“.... Th-thank you, I… Truly don’t think I could ever repay everything you’ve done for me. Thank you for being you…”

Hex wraps his arms around Mallory in returns the hug in full.

“I should be saying the same to you. So... Thank you, Odile. I’m glad that you’re in my life.”

#epilogue #mallory #hex

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happyhollow-mellowmarsh · 2 years

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In Light and Shadow, I'll find my way | Haven | Epilogue

It’s a cool autumn night as Haven walked along the streets and over to the small residence they’d come to fine, humming a tune idly under their breath as they walk over the short lawn and up the two creaky steps to the front of the house.

They knock on the door in front of them after double checking on their phone that they have the right place.

The middle aged man that opened the door a minute later looked exhausted, with brown hair that had begun to grey more than a little, and a look of confusion at the sight of them for a moment for a reason he couldn’t quite place. He opens his mouth to ask why they’re here but pauses, just staring for a moment.

“What, not gonna invite your own kid inside?” Haven asks teasingly, a grin creeping onto their face from it’s curiously neutral position.

“Haven…?” It takes a moment, but the man in front of them snaps out of the daze he’d been in and nods, before opening the door a little more. “Yes, come in. It’s not much, but- Ah, It’s… good to see you. I didn’t expect you to come find me after all this time.”

At first Haven just offers a finger gun as they wander in, taking a look around the house as if appraising the value of it. Of course, for this particular journey they aren’t here to steal anything, but the poor condition of the cheap, cramped walls and the minimal decorations and furnishing.

“Soooo, it’s been awhile, huh? Heard you got outta prison a year or two back now, and I figured I’d stop by. Get some kinda closure, y’know? Therapist’s suggestion, and like, yeah, I figured I could handle it.”

The man, their father, seems uncertain on how to take that for a moment, before he gives a weary smile. “I wish that I could have been there for you so you didn’t need to now, but.. Yes, please, you can stay for as long as you need to. I hope that you’ve been doing well, then…?”

“Mmm, well. I’d say I’m doin’ good now, yeah, though I definitely wasn’t always. Even now there’s ups and down, but I’m makin’ progress, and that’s what counts,” Haven says to start. “If you’ve got the time though, I wouldn’t mind talkin’ through it with ya.”

And so, they talk. Haven tells him about their life, about what it was they’d been through since his imprisonment has started. The hard things, the painful things, but also what bits of happiness they’d managed despite it all, especially later on. About their music career, and eventually to their life in the magic community.

---

It had been a good few years now since Haven had first started their journey in magic. A bit over four since that fateful game had finally ended and their year long Hex apprenticeship and their ongoing therapy journey had started, and a bit over three since they’d become an apprentice to Whimsy after that. And in that time... so much had happened, making it feel like both an eternity and a blink of an eye at once.

Spending that first year with everyone else who’d chosen to stay had been a better time than Haven had ever expected it to be, primarily due to the company they had around them. Turns out, without the threat of a killing game hanging over them things were pretty chill overall, and the bonds they’d managed to make in the game itself had stuck through it all and even expanded a bit to include more people than before.

They’d made trips back to see their band when they could, surprising them all with the way they were handling themself now. Similar, sure, but with a slightly different air about them, not to mention how much more of the time they were sober. They claimed it was the therapy, though the magic certainly did a good deal to help too.

Haven got to visit Natalie’s forest and her family too for the first time in that period, which had been quite the trip. Though they’d been uncertain at first about some things, it wasn’t long before they’d become bug buddies with Natalie’s actual sister like they had with her memory construct. And seeing Natalie’s mother, hand working but kind as she was… By the end of their stay (and the next few subsequent ones after that), Haven made the decision to reach out and reconnect with their own mother, who they’d all but abandoned as soon as they’d moved out of the house at 17.

And of course Haven kept their promise to check things out and hang around Kendall’s vampire coven whenever they had the time too. Turns out, blood magic is supremely helpful when it comes to vampires (both in allowing them to be drank from far more than they should have been able to safely withstand, and to help keep supplies plentiful and fresh). Though they were interested in vampire-hood, Haven indeed stuck by their word when it came to waiting to decide what they’d want to do there, and to focusing on helping out and the rest of what all was going on with them for the time being.

And the therapy… Man, was that still weird to say they had now. It had been more than a little rough at first, as opening up to a stranger hasn’t been entirely easy for them. But through time and effort on both parties' parts, slowly but surely they managed to get into the groove of it a bit more. The game and the events there-in were an enormous can of worms on it’s own, but getting into everything that had come before that was important too, as they soon found, and it was something they’d probably be continuing to work on for some time.

By the time the first year was almost up, and with a bit of encouragement from Natalie and a few others, they felt ready to let go of the physical mask they’d been holding onto out of sheer stubbornness for good, finally ready to get help for the physical issues they had that magic could do something for.

With Scarlet’s help, and a trade of a large chunk of magic that they now new would be able to come back in time, their grin was unfrozen and some of the cerebral trauma helped. It wasn’t a perfect fix by any means, which Haven was admittedly fine with, but for the first time in years they were able to move their face on both sides, and close both of their eyes. The first thing they did with their newfound freedom was cry, before giving a hug to everyone involved in seeing it through with them.

And after all that… Haven had been ultimately surprised to learn that they’d received an invitation to study under Whimsy of all people, who they’d met a few times by now from their occasional pop-ins to prank or annoy Hex now that they had the access to. Haven had been admittedly nervous at first about the idea of accepting, what with how it would separate them from so many of the others they'd’ grown to care about and the Location of Whimsy’s own magical space (sky castle in the clouds? Oh boy).

But with reassurance from their friends and the progress they’d made in therapy and on their own for conquering their fears, in the end Haven was willing to give it a shot, and it wasn’t long before they were glad they did. Surprisingly, it has been Nico that had ended up there with them, and for all that their start together had been rocky! Over that first year with Hex their feelings toward each other had stabilized a good bit, and now that they’d spent more time with him elsewhere too, Haven was even willing to consider him a friend.

The first thing that they’d learned had been Transformation, a skill that they’d whined many times over to Natalie about wanting to have for themself. Whenever they’d mastered a new trick with it, they were always thrilled to show it off to whichever of their friends, and they took great joy in being able to offer Izumi another frog venture with them.

But… the isolation had still gotten to them a bit, and their high had to come crashing down eventually as they still learned how to function as a person. A lot of that first year out of the swamp had left them feeling lost and unsure of what to do with their life, as fun as it was continuing with magic. A crushing sense of things slipping away from them that they couldn’t quite shake off. They relapsed a few times, both in terms of mentality and in their reckless drug and alcohol use, even to the point of ditching the therapy they knew they should still be going to out of depressive episodes for a time, but…

When they needed her the most, Natalie had been there for them to set them straight and reassure them, which was supremely helpful in getting them back on track. And in time between here and any else that would reach out to them too, the harder moments began to hit them less harshly, and less often, until they felt like they had a better handle on their identity and themself wherever they were. Taking things slow was for the best, but the work was slow but sure as they found the strength to continue on with the friendships (and family) they’d started to make for themself.

Haven still visited the swamp regularly too, partly to see a certain spider and her kin that they’d only grown fonder of over the years, partially because it minorly annoyed Hex, and even in part to catch up with Mallory every once in a while (as well as to see Nessie, Kero, and Eddie, of course). Getting Location magic next made that a hell of a lot easier now than having to bug Mallory (or Whimsy) to let them in each time like they’d had to do for the first year after they’d moved on, not to mention making it easier to visit all of the friends they’d made who were more spread out now too after a point of connection was established in each place.

While Star had set her sights towards magical integration (and they’d still helped her where they could with that too), Haven had gone out of their way to adventure directly to as many magical creatures as they could for the sake of understanding them more than to convince them to join human society. Meeting up with fey, demons, and more both in and out of liminal spaces had been a treat for them. By the time they’d moved in with Kendall’s group the year before now a bit more full time to see what living as a vampire would be like, they’d had more than a little experience with all manner of things under their belt.

They stopped by Kanade in her imprisonment in the fey wilds a good few times, just to chat and see how she was doing despite it all. It was hard for them to hold a grudge against her when they were so Done with that now that they’d been able to let that sort of thing go against humanity, and admittedly they’d never been much of a vengeful person in the first place, much as they’d tried to shut themself out of trust and care because of it before.

As for another prisoner though… Haven had also also made a point to personally meet with Origin too to talk despite any warning they received, through means of their contact in Ennui who’d been given a way in preciously. It had taken multiple tries for Origin to be willing to talk to them in a less angry manner, but Haven was persistent, and quite possibly the best person for the job considering how respectful and warm they could be towards the being while also totally understanding their suffering. Haven’s goal wasn’t to persuade, but to give company, and in time, maybe that in itself would help. If nothing else, Haven hopped to give them a friend.

In the end, they’d even managed to get a girlfriend against all odds, who they felt nothing but love and adoration for. They’d grown full prepared to accept a relationship with a human over the course of the game, but things hadn’t quite worked out that way as chance would have it. It took years to convince her to give it a shot, but in the end, Haven wouldn’t trade it for the world.

And finally, after some self reflection and final encouragement from a variety of sources (most surprisingly being Whimsy themself), Haven made the choice for what they wanted to do with their life. They would continue with music for one, with their band for a time until doing something of their own once they'd decided their run was done in the future, which they didn’t need to wait to get started on for themself. They would keep living with Kendall and her coven even as they branched out with their life elsewhere with the help of their Location magic (offered freely to any else of them who wanted to use it of course), made the decision for what to do of their state of living there too.

And, finally, as their fifth element, Haven had picked up Shadow, which they would stay learning with Whimsy even as they spent time elsewhere for now.

---

Haven leaves out a good few details for the sake of convenience and privacy, but the majority of it is out there now, and Haven listens to their father in return, as he talks about what had happened all those years ago and what he’d been up to since. They can’t help but feel a little bad for the guy for the seemingly wrongful imprisonment (at least, for a lot of the charges), even though a lot of it was still his fault too. They don’t argue, just hearing him out, before moving on to a few lighter topics.

Haven stretches after a good while of talking, and turns down an offer for dinner with a wave and an excuse that they’d eaten too recently for that. They get up, ready to head for the door, though not before subtly slipping a small bar of silver they’d carefully wrapped in protective cloth onto a table just out of sight. Anti-thievery hours.

“Well! I think it’s about time for me to get going. I’ve kept you long enough, and I’ve got a date with a giant psychic spider of a woman to be getting to anyhow~ Dunno if I’ll come back anytime soon, but like. Good luck with everything you’ve got goin’ on too. Might have a guitar to get back to you some time at least, if you want it.”

Behind them, Haven’s father pauses, before getting up to open the door for them to be polite, which Haven steps out of as their dad gives them some final words.

“You too, Haven. And I’d- If you’d want to keep it you can, but I’d take it at least. ...Thank you, for stopping by.” He offers them a tired but content look as he looks over them in the moonlight, pausing for a moment in surprise as he gets a better look at them.

With a wave and a small but genuine smile, Haven turned to head on their way, back out into the night, their form shifting to that of a bat in flight as soon as the door closes.

As dark as it was out now, the future was still looking brighter than ever for them.

#haven #epilogue #submission

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happyhollow-mellowmarsh · 2 years

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#natalie #epilogue #submission

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happyhollow-mellowmarsh · 2 years

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I'm Enough for Me | Fran | Epilogue

Well Celine could be a headache, she did what she said she would and that itself was important. The dead were going to be revived, and that lifted a weight that had settled in Fran’s chest. Some damage couldn’t be repaired as easily, but plenty wasn’t lost.

There was never any question about whether or not François wanted to stay at the swamp to study magic.

At the first chance he had, Fran left to visit home again. He had never much enjoyed his birthday, a depressing affair, but this was the second best birthday he got to experience that year. He might not have been able to remember the other months, but it still Felt as though he could feel the time. Far too long to be away, leaving his dear Maxim in worry.

Though he wouldn’t stay for long, he’d at least make full use of the day. Comfortable in arms he missed, the broken glass in his heart could be dealt with later. There was far too much to talk about, and he was far too tired to consider what he was Ready to talk about in the first place.

There was so much to be done during his year of study. Friends to spend time with, magic to master, combos to test, people to try and repair relationships with, guitar to learn, a boyfriend to spend weekends with, dance to practice and teach, therapy to attend, the list was unending. Time had always been the enemy, even before the kaleidoscope of murder games. Still, time would always move forwards with or without you. It was best to simply Make the best of the time you had.

Not that such a thing ever stopped François from trying to make a little more for himself.

After the year’s apprenticeship is over, it’s not another great witch that offers Fran further learning. A part time apprenticeship with Hex suited him better. More time to continue his career in dance, and more time to live his life. Besides, when all was said and done, he Liked Hex and Mallory. Wasn’t that enough?

There is a certain joy in taking Animation up as his third element. Unlike some of his former classmates Fran isn’t much one for making magictech. He prefers the more traditional approach, something he’s a little more in touch with. Puppets didn’t always need strings to guide them, but for some it was helpful to have the structure. He’s plenty good at making sturdy ones all by himself too. A skeleton frame, woven muscles, stitched skin, and yarn hair is all it takes to form the first few. Though Bell and Omen his Skeletal cats are always favourites, each new puppet made and each new use of magic is a joy itself.

Bébé helps too of course, although they are a little rougher on Fran’s many creations. Perhaps it was what he got for teaching them to chase yarn though, his little hunter.

A little time is even made to start learning from Shaela of all people. It’s easier to learn about his fea heritage from her over Ennui. Far less painful memories attached, even if he is always wary.

Well it’s hard to make time between studying magic, returning to his dance company, and making time for friends and family, François doesn’t mind. He wouldn’t have it any other way.

It takes him a long time to figure out how he wants to help the world. Fran was never someone that could really consider himself Actually being much help. It was something he was trying to work on, something still foreign to him. So many of his peers were working hard with or without him though towards their own goals for the future and the betterment of the world. Could he really just sit back and leave all the work to everyone else?

Before he picks up his next element for his second year of part time apprenticing under Hex, he has a thought. Something beneficial, and something close enough to home, his new home. His sanctuary in Russia. That would be where he tackled first, he was after all a Selfish man. It’s not a quick plan, nor a simple one, but it is His. That’s also enough for him.

It starts with mastering the element of Salt. There was no point in doing something half baked when it was risky. Radiation was no joke. Practice, dedication, and experimentation was the key. During the first month of his third year under Hex he begins to practice in the field.

At first the scale is miniscule. He isolates an object, secured in a salt fortified container and brought to him by Warded Puppet Assistants. Fakir and Dean are always trying to outdo one another, but they’re sweet boys. The first few items are small, toys, knick knacks, small metal bits. Anything easy to carry. It takes practice, and the process is extremely slow to start. Both from the fact he can’t afford to wear himself out, and because he still needs to put as much of himself into his dancing career as he can. It becomes routine to him, when he is free from career and social obligations he works on his project.

Locate suitable object, retrieve object, purify object, show findings, and begin the process again.

It’s oddly scientific work for someone like him, who’s love was in art and expression. Out of place, like a child wearing their father’s suit. It takes a lot of studying and consideration, but by his fourth year part timing under Hex he’s got a much clearer picture of what he needs to do.

By his fifth and final year the system moves much smoother. Fakir and Dean’s help make the task so much easier, and as do their many siblings. Between his space magic and Wolfgang’s metal manipulation, retrieving bigger objects is much less of a hassle. Collaboration begins with Aisling and himself, working to create a plant that can purify the land itself. Everyday he feels less like he’s only being stupidly optimistic.

They inch closer and closer to the goal. Salt lines the ground and a barrier the air to keep their hard work protected.

His work would take a long time, maybe the rest of his life. He’d probably never fully know peace. He found he didn’t mind so much. Like much of his family before him, he became far too restless when he didn’t have Some project to work on. He’d always be reducing fabric waste anyway. Renewing and restoring clothes, unraveling what was too far gone to save, creating new from those.

Sure, he could have had a quiet life, settled down once he was done dancing, maybe become a dance instructor. Maybe just be a trophy husband to a brilliant roboticist. Both viable options he could have taken. He found that he didn’t mind so much though. When he really needed a break, there could always be a pause on time, or an acceleration to his efforts. He could make himself more time in his day.

He was healing though, why should their world not to?

#fran #epilogue #submission

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happyhollow-mellowmarsh · 2 years

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CARRRL there is a dead human in our house || KHOA EPILOGUE

The choice to either stay with Hex for a year or get lost was a simple one for the Mermaid. Having been graced with a miracle - a second chance at life - Khoa certainly wasn’t going to squander it. No more unnecessary risks. And no more trust.

At least - that’s what he wanted to tell himself. But as he settled back into his body, poking at his familiar skin he didn’t think he would ever feel grateful for, watching as Fran and Natalie greeted him - he could not stop the surge of gratitude and relief from dripping from his blurry eyes (even if he remained as blank faced as ever as little droplets peeked through). It did not matter if all he had known all his life was betrayal and turmoil. They kept their promise. It was a miracle. He was alive. And they found out the true culprit behind this horrible game. He could not have asked for anything more.

When his revival was finished, he collapsed in front of them. Kneeling, he bowed his head over and pressed his head against the floor.

“Thank you.” He said. “I will not ever forget this.”

In the end, Khoa decided to accept the offer to stay another year with Hex. As much as he despised him, leaving now meant returning to his “home” without a real means to protect himself. A death sentence. He wouldn’t last a month, probably not even a week, when his enemies had the wealth to buy half the city.

So he stayed.

As per usual, Khoa remained as courteous as ever to his classmates who also decided to stay with Hex for the year. Courteous. Polite. Neutral. Even towards his previous murderer, Monty, though their interactions scarcely went beyond a simple nod of respect and acknowledgement towards each other.

Despite the fact that this has arguably been the most sociable and agreeable Khoa has ever been, he never stayed in the same room with someone for longer than 10 minutes. Even amongst those he might’ve considered “friends,” Khoa was quick to vacate the premises - dodging almost every possible attempt to hang out - no matter how harmless the activity. It seemed as though old habits really do die hard. Even with the positive influences around him, including an actual therapist (it took Khoa a little while to both grasp the idea that someone could make a living just listening to someone’s problems, and how admittedly helpful it was… even if he would never publically admit it) it was clear that the boy needed time.

Things seemed to finally change for the better in the final month of their apprenticeship. He started dining more publicly with his fellow classmates, and occasionally joined in on whatever shenanigans his peers were cooking up. More surprisingly, the boy actually began initiating contact. Even if some of it was somewhat mischievous and admittedly childish. Including shooting Star in the head with a nerf gun “accidentally”, trying to convince Nico to eat his failed cooking creations under the guise that Aisling made it, and hiding a freshly baked sopapilla (one of the only things he can make correctly) under Natalie’s pillow. Though he remained as stone-faced and as monotone as ever throughout his shenanigans… he was… dare-I-say… enjoying himself to the fullest - making up for lost, stolen time.

He never saw Kanade again. He never visited.

------------------------------------------------------------

It was cool.

The crisp mountain air felt nice on your skin, as you walked along the small streets of Reine. A huge, lake-like body of water of indescribable beauty stretched out as far as the eye could see, peppered with bright red houses that undoubtedly belonged to the fishermen of this renowned fishing village.

It was gorgeous, but you knew that. It’s exactly why you decided to visit!

But first things first, it’s time to check into your hotel!

After bumbling around for a little while, you managed to find the place you booked.

A bell rang as you pushed the doors of the hotel open. Well, it was more like a large, homey guest house, or a family owned inn, than a hotel, but the name of the establishment was literally just: “Hotel”. Despite the awfully literal name, the place seemed quite nice. It was modern, clean and well kept.

“Welcome.”

A man stood a few feet away from the door, leaning on a high table meant to serve as the reception desk of some sort. A short man, with peachy pale skin and light brown eyes that seemed to be losing its color. Despite his salt and pepper hair (a clear sign of old age), he looked like he could pass as a teenager. The contrast was a little strange. Not only that, he looked a little sickly… but at the very least he looked friendly!

“Ah you must be Carl!” You reach out your hand, offering him a handshake. He shakes your hand.

“Yes, and you made a reservation.” He replied, with a peculiar accent and a polite smile. A strange reply. It wasn’t a question. Before you could speak, he continued. “We do not have many guests this time of year. Too cold for many, it is true. But, not for you?”

You answered his question, and he gave you another small smile.

“You must be hungry - please this way.”

------------------------------------------------------------

It was time.

The guests were gone, the house was empty, and the town was quiet. Perfect.

After locking his doors for the night, Carl slipped on a coat and swished his hand over his chest. A haze engulfed him. Though he wasn’t nearly as masterful with Illusion magic (and magic in general) as he was with his peers who went on to further their studies following the end of their year with Hex, he was still very much competent. He had a great teacher after all.

Invisible to all, he slipped through the streets and made his way out of town. Deeper and deeper into the forest he went, until finally the sound of a familiar neigh signaled that he was almost there. Another swish of a hand, and his illusion was dismissed.

Horse was right where he last left him. Carl hoped that his familiar didn’t stand around all day waiting for him to come back, but he knew that wasn’t the case. Horse just always seemed to know when Carl was coming, and would always wait for him at the right moment.

“It is nice to see you too,” he said softly, as Horse shoved his face into Carl’s neck. After patting his neck, Carl hopped onto Horse, and together they left in silence.

The trip seemed longer than he remembered, and by the time they arrived, dawn was breaking over the mountains. He was just in time.

Slowly, he could hear the flutter fairies as they began to wake from their slumber.

He slid off of Horse and gave him another pat on the neck, allowing him to roam on his own as Carl began to take up his usual post.

He walked up along the side of his favorite tree - gravity be damned - and settled into position on his favorite branch that overlooked the sanctuary. A perfect meadow. A safe haven for “all inhuman folk” as she would put it.

He rubbed his healing skin, feeling a little chilly and lightly regretting not bringing a thicker coat. But such trifles were trivial in the grand scheme of things. He leaned his head back against the bark, smiling as all the creatures began to wake to greet the rising sun. So long as he was here, no harm would ever come to those who stepped foot into this sanctuary. And as long as he had his friends - people who for some reason, continued to try to help and heal him even after giving him the most precious gift of all - he knew he would be okay.

#khoa #epilogue #submission

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happyhollow-mellowmarsh · 2 years

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The World Keeps Spinning || Tomi || Epilogue

Even before the final trial, Tomi had plans for how his future would unfold. There were a few things he knew he would do; he would be with Kit, he would use his magic to help humanity as much as he helped the planet, and he would do it by marrying his creativity and love of engineering with magic. The original plan was to move to move to South Korea and work with one of Monty’s contacts on building magitech prosthetics… In fact, his belief in this future is largely why he refused to have his arm regenerated, so that he could test his prosthetics out himself…But even the best laid plans meet resistance.

As the year of training under Hex came to an end, and Kit was chosen to study under Celine, Tomi decided that he would follow her… Even if he wasn’t meant to be an apprentice, the great witch was gracious enough to allow him to live with Kit, and provided him with what he needed to continue his work in magitech.

With that, his first goal for his future was met. He was with Kit.

His first invention of note however did not benefit humanity or the planet in any real sense. Rather it was a stepping stone for his future work, and a crucial step towards overcoming his trauma.

As Tomi was looked over in the selection of apprentices, while his own girlfriend received one, of course he was proud of her, but also his constant fear of inferiority sprang back into his life. The idea that others would continue to gain new elements and skills while he was left behind only caused his self-doubt to grow… But rather than wallow in it as he had been prone to do in the past, he used it as a propelling force for his research.

About a year into his stay with Celine, he finished development on a series of magical converters, capable of allowing him access to various elements without having to rely on others. The idea that he would need to have the people that had used their votes to tell him that his life was disposable, and that he didn’t matter constantly charging cards for him to continue his work was almost paralyzing… And with this invention, he gained some level of independence. Sure, he needed Celine, or Kit or another apprentice to rekindle the elemental magic in the converters periodically, but he no longer had to subject himself to the people that served as constant reminders of what had happened.

It wasn’t as though he avoided everyone from his time in the swamp… There were a few he still managed to have positive relationships with: Izumi, Blakeley, Kashmir, Aisling, Nico, Mao and Monty… And of course Kit.

Still though… While the converters offered a separation from his past, they didn’t offer him any chance to grow into the future, and he still could feel himself being left behind. That’s where an unexpected opportunity allowed him to continue his studies. The relationship and rapport he’d built with Shaela during Hex’s death-game resulted in an offer to study under her. Sure, he wouldn’t gain any new elements, but… That was something he’d already accounted for with his converters… even if he’d never be able to master them in the ways real apprentices could.

Instead what Shaela offered was lessons in magic theory, history, creatures, and non-earth languages, and perhaps most important of all… Adventures on which to practice, and grow his magic.

With the freedom and encouragement to experiment with his magic with Shaela, his work in magitech was able to advance much more quickly than it would had he been limited by fear of failure in the human world. This played a role in his next major invention, advanced prosthetics. For that, he worked alongside Monty’s contact, combining advanced AI-driven prosthetics with the ease of use of bind magic, and growth magic from his familiar, Takara, to ensure that one prosthetic would fit someone for life. With Kit’s magical programming libraries, integration into the pre-existing prosthetics was surprisingly easy, and resulted in a fairly quick rollout; around three years… Tomi’s investment into the company he was working with meant that he wouldn’t have to worry about funding much in the future.

Sorry Eddie. Capitalism won this one.

Even if it weren’t for his personal investment into the field, Tomi saw a need to show that magic wasn’t something solely for use by witches. During the killing game, he’d lost faith that humanity thought of much more than themselves, and he knew that kindness often wasn’t repaid… But that didn’t mean that it shouldn’t be offered. If nothing else, it would show humanity that if the witches weren’t so busy cleaning up the mess they’ve made of the planet, maybe they’d be able to help humanity in more ways… Perhaps he was relying more on selfishness than actually being charitable.

Either way… He’d made progress on his goal of helping humanity. Helping the planet would take a bit longer. In fact his next major contribution wouldn’t be until after Kit graduated from her apprenticeship with Celine after eight years.

Taking a page from his father’s book, Tomi also concluded his studies with Shaela at the same time (partially because without Celine acting as a safety-net, he didn’t feel particularly safe adventuring with her anymore), and with both Kit and him finished with their education, he asked her to marry him .

She said “Yes”!

Another lesson Tomi’s parents had taught him was that family always came first, and as such, his progress slowed as they settled into their new normal. Which largely consisted of him supporting his wife as she became Canada’s first catgirl senator, and helping her cross the language barrier as she worked for the integration of magical beings into society.

As Kit’s career continued, and she began working for stronger environmental policies, Tomi couldn’t help but feel skeptical at humanity’s ability to follow through on any reasonable timeline, and with the earth already teetering on the edge, he decided to develop a planetary Band-Aid. His next major invention was a device that could be used in cars, factories, weather balloons, ocean dredges… cow farms. To collect carbons and other pollutants and bind them together. This would slow, and eventually reverse the effects of climate change… At least temporarily.

If nothing else, it would buy time for Kit, and other politicians to actually guide the world in the right direction. Actually… The idea for it was inspired by Kit’s engagement ring. He had used his bind magic to bind carbon together into the perfect diamond for her, and moved forward with a similar premise for the devices… Granted to be able to pull the carbons and pollutants out of the air, and dispose of them he needed the use of air and void magic, but luckily his magic converters provided what was necessary. Even after he got the witches' help to mass produce his invention, he didn't feel like he’d done anything to help the planet recover… He’d only delayed the inevitable, so he got back to work, still never allowing his tinkering to get in the way of his relationship with Kit, and his ability to support her.

Eventually, a decade or so later, he completed his final major invention. A tool that would use a combination of growth and plant magics to help rapidly regrow trees for reforestation efforts, and could also be used by farmers to rapidly grow crops. With that he’d finally created something that he felt truly helped humanity as much as it helped the planet. Hunger could be eliminated, and the planet could be restored.

He’d proven to himself that he wasn’t inferior to anyone, despite the opportunities they might have gained over him, and despite what the actions of others had told him over the years.

Tomi made a difference… He mattered.

Also he made magic Beyblades, because he’s Tomi.

#rip #epilogue

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happyhollow-mellowmarsh · 2 years

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Doctrine </> Kit ft. Tomi, Mao </> Epilogue

November 4, 2027

The past year in the swamp has been a time of self-reflection and (slow) recovery for Kit, but more than that, it has been a nonstop effort to master her magic. Sitting on the edge of her bed, stroking a dozing Morgan’s head in her lap, Kit recalls how merely a year ago, something as simple as staying in one place without gripping on for dear life (or outside assistance) was a delicate challenge. Now, her anomalous personal gravity is fully under her control, and she can alight wherever and whenever she wishes.

Study has been slow, of course, without the overbearing life-or-death pressure to thrive and improve exerted by the killing game. But Kit finds herself happy to trade speed for safety. She’s always been industriously studious. And, having quit her job at Twitch and withdrawn from most of her moderation commitments, she can devote herself sufficiently to her practice and studies and even still have time for other projects on the side. Like learning Japanese. And finally getting to cast a combo spell with Erika Ljunggren.

And what’s contained on the USB drive sitting on her desk. After a little convincing, Kit eventually prevailed on Hex to teach her to code for magic systems, like the one down in the now-defunct time machine. Under his stern and disinterested tutelage, she learned to weave magic into her programming. And after much grappling with the unintuitive system Hex had devised, Kit grew tired of it. Patiently unraveling the Gordian knot of arcane assembly, she drew up a detailed and full-featured function library, so that she and anyone else determined to do so could code with magic power without ever having to actually touch a rune.

Obviously, for entirely mundane computers programmed by untrained people to interface with magic, specialized peripherals would be required. But that’s presently outside the scope of her working knowledge. Which is where Tomi comes in. The last couple weeks of Kit's time in the swamp have been solely devoted to getting her project finished (or, at least, functional). And now, she’s handing over this copy to Tomi, so he can tinker with it for his inventions. She hasn’t mentioned this to him yet. It’s going to be a surprise gift. A goodbye present… even though they aren’t actually parting.

(As of right now, her code can only be passed around like this. GitHub gave her nothing but errors when she attempted to upload the repository. Modern Internet infrastructure isn’t quite ready to handle magic flowing along its fibers yet. But it will be, someday, if she has her way.)

The click of Kit’s door opening rouses her from her thoughts. Oh! Here’s Tomi, here to meet up with her before they leave. He certainly took his time getting ready. Kit pats Morgan, sharing a brief telepathic exchange with the panther, then rises from the bed to float over and greet her boyfriend.

Tomi sets his bags down as Kit approaches. As he does, Takara leaps from his shoulder onto Morgan’s back, prompting a silent sigh of relief. Takara’s not exactly small, and he was struggling to carry both her and all of his things. Of course, she wouldn’t bother herself with walking of her own volition. Morgan, for her part, calmly and dignifiedly permits this. The two familiars have developed a rapport of their own, since Kit and Tomi spend so much time together.

Meanwhile, Tomi wraps Kit into a hug. “Sorry I’m running a bit late… Just making sure I got everything I need to set up my lab, and saying my goodbyes. Anyway, you ready to get out of here?” Tomi certainly was. As much as he had learned in the last year, in his opinion, it was a year too long to spend with Hex. And while of course moving to the next chapter of his life alongside Kit is the main motivator for the decision to make this move, the change in scenery is a close second.

Kit smiles, returning his hug. “One last thing before we leave.” Drifting over to her desk, she picks up the USB drive. “I finished the rune library. It’s not perfect, but it works. There’s documentation and everything. I thought this might help with your magitech projects.” Returning to Tomi’s side, Kit offers him the fruits of her labors. Tomi accepts the USB drive, and turns it over in his hand… Even if he couldn’t know what was on it just by looking at it, this thing carried weight. The culmination of all of Kit’s study and work… even before she had become an apprentice led up to this. Of course she would be critical of her own work, but- “Still… The fact that you have any sort of finished product...” Tomi grins widely.

“I mean… not that I doubted you at all. I’m just proud of you.” This would mean a drastic change in Tomi’s capabilities. He’d taken to using his own magic as a shortcut for some of the more complicated aspects of his experiments, but with this? Who knew what new things had become possible?

“When was the last time I reminded you that you’re amazing?” The question is asked through a lopsided grin before he pulls her in for a kiss.

Kit briefly considers a serious answer to that question. Probably a day or two ago? But that’s not what Tomi’s looking for and she knows it. So instead she returns his kiss, emphatically, accepting the compliment in the form he chooses to give it –

Knock knock. Someone else is at the door. Kit pulls back. “Um… Sorry, I should probably get that.” Sheepishly grinning at Tomi, she pushes lightly off his shoulders to float over. Good thing she didn’t put on lipstick today, or this’d be embarrassing.

When she opens it up, it’s Mao on the other side. The younger apprentice gives her a soft wave. "Hey uhm...the lady from before is here and she said she's here to pick you up?" There's a moment of them putting two and two together before their eyes sparkle. "Wait! Wait? Celine is your mentor oh gosh that's soooOOOooo cool, you're going to become so powerful, Kit." Beaming, they stick their hands into their jacket pocket. "My best friend is going to become the next Great Witch in no time!"

Kit beams down at them, drifting slightly to the side before she thinks to magically correct her momentum. “Um, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” she giggles. “One step at a time. I’ve got a long way to go before I can even think about succeeding a Great Witch.” And she’s not sure she’s cut out for that, anyway… It’s a lot of responsibility, and stronger people than her have demonstrably warped under the weight of that power. “But I appreciate your vote of confidence! And of course I’m gonna do my best. I think… Healing will be my next element. There’s a lot of good I can do with that.”

Kit makes to leave, but pauses. She pulls out her wand and gives it a precise flick in Tomi’s direction. He feels his luggage lighten considerably, gravity lessening for the bags and their contents. (Kit herself has no luggage, having previously worked out with Celine a detailed list of what items in her room she’d like transferred to the new location.)

That done, she stows her wand again and descends to give Mao a brief side-hug goodbye. “I’ll see you around. Hopefully sooner rather than later.” Letting go of them, she then rises back to her original height and drifts over a bit so she’s not blocking the door.

Behind her, Morgan calmly strides forth, Takara firmly astride. The panther pauses for just a moment in the doorway, ducking her head for some goodbye scritches from Mao, then moves over to stand by Kit’s side.

Tomi follows soon after. Hand in hand, they head on towards the classroom, and in turn towards their future.

[>>>]

#kit #rip #epilogue

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happyhollow-mellowmarsh · 2 years

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THE MEANING OF LIFE || EPILOGUE || MONTY

#monty #epilogue #submission

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happyhollow-mellowmarsh · 2 years

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The World Isn't Our Enemy Anymore | Izumi | Epilogue

When the ghosts are finally able to catch up to the living, Izumi is still frantic, bristling as she holds several charged cards including a damaged Bind card – evidently, she’d made an attempt to stop Kanade much earlier. She’s prepared to continue that confrontation, angry words on her tongue, before she realizes that it’s already all over.

Celine flaunting her superiority keeps that anger fed. Oh, sure, she’s more trustworthy than Hex is, but Izumi’s faith in any Great Witch has been low ever since she learned about the gag order forced on the last group – the order that ended up giving Kanade motive for all of this. And here comes another witch (Izumi is thinking of a slightly different word) giving orders with little regard to what the people most directly victimized by this want. Natalie brings up a good point about how this is just going to cause even more pain, and Celine’s first reaction was to get upset that she swore.

So Celine is like Nico who is like Yushin who is like Jin. All people who’ve told Izumi at one point or another that it doesn’t matter what she thinks or feels, if she isn’t perfectly calm in expressing it then she is nothing more than a child not worth their time.

Well fuck that. Izumi is so tired of being expected to just smile and bear her pain – last time she did that, she foolishly let Kanade get too close to the time machine. As people start to state their plans for the future, all the anger Izumi’s been hanging onto since Kanade absorbed the magic, since long before then back at the moment Izumi fell from the bridge, finally boils over.

She says: There was something she realized on the way here, ruminating on how Kanade did all of this to save her relationship, but destroyed God knows how many others in the process. Every timeline abandoned to an uncertain fate, every motive and trial and punishment that drove wedges deep between even people that were close friends. Kanade’s lost every friendship she made in those nine prior timelines, and she stands to potentially lose even more now.

Izumi’s rant picks up in intensity as she shifts focus to the relationships in this timeline and tries to highlight all the people who’ve suffered immensely thanks to Kanade – and more than once, it becomes clear that Izumi sees it all from her very biased, very limited point-of-view. Her trauma flares raw and furious, and somehow it all goes back to those twenty-three minutes she laid on the ground dying, and how it is all she can think of whenever she sees someone hugging Nico.

Somehow it all goes back to the argument they had just before her death – it goes back to how Izumi wishes she could express her frustrations openly. But she can’t, because she’s somehow fooled most people into thinking she is a paragon to rely upon, and the rest are people like her uncle and Celine who’d use her anger as evidence she’s not worth their time. Izumi doesn’t feel safe when she’s angry like this, because every time she gives in she ends up hurting someone. Like when she hurt Nico by rejecting his apology, or when she hurt her ex by mocking his trauma. There have even been times when being such a brat has gotten people killed – like herself on that fateful afternoon – like her mother on that fateful night.

Those who’ve been to Izumi’s mindspace might recognize that last point indicates that the progress they made there is slipping backwards. All the work to convince Izumi that it wasn’t her selfish immaturity that caused the car accident, undone in a single afternoon.

Izumi finally stops carving out the ugliness that’s festered in her ever since her death, now left feeling hollow. She wishes there was some indulgence she could fill this void with, but ghosts can’t even have a glass of water, much less anything stronger. Spent of her fury, Izumi simply falls to her knees, her intangible form not quite sinking into the mud.

“I think I need help.”

- - -

Staying around as an apprentice gets her free help, and that’s reason alone to stay aboard. Of course, she also genuinely wants to learn magic, having grown increasingly fascinated with its potential applicability to the wider world.

The two weeks Izumi spent in the Mirror Realm has left her lagging behind half the group, and without the accelerated growth from trauma it’ll be months before she’s ready for a second element, but she’s sunk too much to want to give up now. She becomes used to exploring liminal spaces, and she finally gets to experiment with potion-making and card-charging like she’d theorized with her fellow apprentices. In her time off, she leaves for ‘home’ – a somewhat arbitrary place for one that technically has none. But she does make trips back to Sapporo to get back in contact with her friends and her father, though she doesn’t stay long at the Meihara residence in fear of another confrontation with her uncle Jin.

Instead, she gets a new home in Manchester with Monty, Maribelle, and their housemates. Her work with Team 5MCs as a beta tester and future translator will come more naturally if she’s physically present, and if she really is going to be a godmother then she should get to know everyone there better. Izumi still feels out of place: Even as her English lessons progress, it’ll take her a long time to get used to how different life in Britain is from Japan.

At least she’s in good company there, given Mari’s own family history. (Izumi tries not to blush too much around her. She really is hopeless, always crushing on people who she thinks are unavailable to her…) It takes a while to acclimate, and Izumi bears a lot of laughter from her friends when she sometimes says “innit” the way she’d usually use “desu”, but she does eventually find her place here, becoming the cool aunt who always has some novel candy to give to her godkids. Even if Izumi is unlikely to ever adopt children, she’ll still always have a family.

- - -

But back to the most important thing: The mandated therapy. Izumi would’ve asked anyway after that outburst of hers, but accessibility turns it into reality. Even so, Izumi doesn’t have an easy time unpacking everything going on with her. The stigma against seeking treatment was particularly strong in the Meihara family and it was expected for every one of them to simply endure their pain and grow from it. Fine for those of them whose bad coping mechanisms made them appear stoic, pious, or hardworking. Less so for people like Izumi and her parents, who’d all expressed their trauma by lashing out in frustration.

Sometimes therapy feels like two steps forward and one backwards. Izumi doesn’t follow all the advice to the letter, and that unlocks a whole detour on her troubles with academia. Her family is frequent subject, interlinking with her present-day beliefs about death, anger, and authority. Her treatment plans are adjusted to better suit her mannerisms, and Izumi finds herself using liminal space as therapy, able to break setpieces and yell at constructs in relative safety. She is eventually granted her second element and picks Dream, and while she’s mortified when her uncontrolled magic causes her dreams to bleed into other people’s, at least it forces her to have conversations about the issues that plague her. Which sort of counts as progress.

Izumi gets to a point where she’s finally able to discuss her grievances with people without immediately falling apart, and where she can accept both that her trauma is not her own fault and that it does not override the trauma of other people. On her next visit to the Meihara residence she doesn’t run away this time when she calls her uncle out on how he’s treated her, and it ends on a bittersweet note: Jin stubbornly insists he was only trying to make Izumi a responsible person, and she decides to minimize contact with him from now on. But at least she’s able to convince her father to move out on his own and seek help for his own unresolved grief.

It’s just one of many great hurdles Izumi has to overcome during those months in the swamp. Later, she goes to someone else who’s hurt her deeply: Nico. Izumi still finds it difficult to forgive him, but she tries. She’s finally starting to accept that while she’s right to resent what happened to her, Nico was as much a victim of the killing game as she was. And while Izumi’s frustration in the aftermath was valid, what wasn’t acceptable was guilting people for still talking to him.

Even back in high school she’d pushed people away because she tried to make them choose between her and her ex-boyfriend – and she shouldn’t do that again to the friends she’d made here. And besides, isn’t Izumi a hypocrite for standing by Mao and Monty after all the harm they caused? In another timeline, maybe it was Nico who she stood by in tough times. She admits she did like him at first this go around, too. In a way, it’s yet another friendship lost.

Izumi doesn’t know if she’ll ever be able to fully forgive Nico. But she tries, and it marks another milestone in both of them finding peace. The wound finally stops eating away at her, giving way to healing.

- - -

Eventually, Hex’s temporary apprentices move on to greener, less swampy pastures. Izumi’s home in the magical community is with Beacon, and she’s grateful that the old woman is patient with her and does not seem to pressure her to go anything grand. Her trust in the Great Witches still hasn’t fully recovered, but Izumi learns to trust in Beacon in spite of that.

It helps that she doesn’t have to rely on just one person to support her. Even if she somehow lost both her magic and her new family, Izumi has a place to stay in California, thanks to Star giving her a set of keys and an invitation to crash at her house even when she’s away on business. And if she lost that, Izumi’s still got other friends in the US that can help her. For the first time in years Izumi’s life has stabilized both economically and socially.

And she makes the most of this, finding time between her work to travel. There are people who are dear to her that she wants to see as much as she can: Tomi and Mao, whom she’s started to think of as her little siblings, and their respective partners. Fran and Wolfgang, who’ve become part of their own found family too. Star and Natalie and Haven, a trio that feels like they’ve always been there for each other and for Izumi.

She vacations in the US often, fascinated both by the urban landscape of California and the sprawling forests of Georgia. Sometimes Izumi goes to Russia too, to celebrate music and dance with the Dupuis family. Many times she goes back to Japan to meet with her father and with friends both new and old. Her former coworker Shion has moved on with her life too, having left Hokkaido after graduating university. Izumi offers to get back at Yushin, thinking that maybe there’s a crime he can be dinged on, but… at Shion’s request, she doesn’t follow through. If there is a legal case against him, it’ll center on what he posted specifically about Shion, and she doesn’t want to relive that. She isn’t recognized where she lives now, and she’d rather continue living in peace.

(This does not stop Izumi from utilizing her connections to raise some hell in his life. What’s Yushin gonna do about magic-users breaking into his apartment when he’s away? She finally gets back every item she and Shion had to leave behind, plus some extra when Haven steals Yushin’s TV by yeeting it into a mirror. Izumi makes sure to leave a hidden, temporary trinket of Dream magic, just enough to give Yushin a few nightmares about women laughing at his cowardice.)

Izumi eventually visits someone she hasn’t seen in a very long time: Her ex-boyfriend, now a university graduate, professional caterer, and husband. Just as it was in liminal space, their conversation is awkward, but it brings closure to them both. Both Izumi and Kenichi were products of their trauma, but that doesn’t mean they are defined by that alone. They’re able to finally discuss the contradictory desires that made up their relationship and reach understanding, parting as distant friends. Izumi offers Kenichi advice on child-rearing (he and his husband plan to adopt, and he’s stunned to learn Izumi gained a form of parenthood before him) and Kenichi offers Izumi one last bento meal, just like he used to make for her back in school.

She takes it with her when she arranges for a trip into the feywilds.

There, she finds a Kanade who has also made her own steps towards recovery. Izumi doesn’t think it’s enough to atone, and she doesn’t know if there will ever be a way to atone, not to all the timelines whose fates are unclear to her even now. But Izumi is finally well enough that she can talk to Kanade without wanting to scream or cry (not too much at least, the urge is still there but Izumi’s gotten better at quelling it). She talks about her studies in magic, her travels from country to country, her pride in how her godchildren are growing (even if she won’t say their names or show pictures, just in case any fey are eavesdropping). Izumi talks about this bright future of hers, never explicitly pointing out that it was a future she almost didn’t get to have.

She asks Kanade questions about the other Izumis, how their magic developed and what fates they met or were heading towards. She asks Kanade if she genuinely thought of Izumi and the rest as friends – and, when she’s told yes, Izumi admits that she genuinely believed Kanade was her friend, too. Someone she could confide her secrets to, and could have Kanade could do the same.

But it’s the past now. Izumi wishes well and says her goodbyes, rarely visiting the feywilds again. It will be enough for her to know that Kanade is not dead. It means she gets to have her own future, too, and it’s the best that Izumi can ask for her.

- - -

The downside of having Beacon as a mentor is that magical growth is slower than is it under other Great Witches. Between this and Izumi setting a relaxed pace for her studies to avoid burnout, it takes years before she’s cleared to have a third element. But the moment she is, Izumi already knows what she wants to specialize in next: Death. She approaches it the only way a former ghost hunter can, as a mystery to solve. The Great Witches have addressed the peculiarities of death publicly before, but it’s still not well-understood by mundane society.

When Izumi can finally stop hallucinating the sight of corpses she saw during the murder game (it’s rough, but she’s prepared for it this time and has enough people to help her calm down), she sees the world with new clarity – mostly, the clarity to realize that many supposed “ghost-hunting” tools are little more than meters that read changes in atmosphere. But she knows very, very well that ghosts do exist, and now she can identify which séance techniques are the real deal.

And that’s just scratching the surface of the mysteries. There are some things even Great Witches know little about: What constitutes a soul? And what happens to the soul when a ghost stops haunting this mortal realm, or if it never becomes a ghost in the first place?

She doesn’t know what answer she’s going to find, but she’d be a fool not to take advantage of this. Camera in hand, Izumi returns to social media under the new moniker c4ndyZoom, a partial complement to her brother’s gamertag.

- - -

Izumi might not have the production value or raw starpower to draw in crowds, but there are plenty of people who want to see any apprentice of a Great Witch stream, even if her content is directionless. Some days she travels out to different locales to verify if they live up to their haunted reputation. Other days she stays right at home and streams her clumsy attempts at some new hobby that’s holding her passionate but temporary interest.

During lulls in her streams, she tries to promote her dear friends’ causes, be it the technology they’re inventing or the social and ecological reform they’re petitioning for. Today, on her way to the countryside, Izumi talks about how the spirits that supposedly haunt her destination are of people who, regardless of if they ever had magical connections or not, are nowadays thought to be victims of socio-political machinations. And with that, she segues into promoting petitions calling for explicit protection of the rights of supernatural entities – while many of them understandably don’t feel safe being in public even with these efforts, it’s better to keep working on this now than to wait for a tragedy to happen.

Izumi knows she isn’t the brightest student, nor the most dedicated worker. Her friends are all more skilled at that than she is, and they’re out there accomplishing great things. What Izumi is good at is using that charming persona of hers, once used to cultivate regular customers at a diner, to bolster such important matters. And she’s happy being able to give this much back to the people who supported her through her lowest moments. After years of healing, Izumi has finally found a healthy balance between her conflicting wants. In this way, she can be kind without overextending

- - -

When she’s on her way back to Manchester the next day, she texts Monty to ask if he’s up for a family trip to Beacon’s orchard this weekend; Amaguri is happiest any time she’s with Izumi, but being out on the farm is better than trying to force her to stay indoors at their house. Maybe afterwards they all can stop by that new roller rink that recently opened up in town, too?

It’ll be the kids’ first time on skates, but Izumi will make sure to hold their hands tightly and keep them safe. She promises.

#izumi #epilogue #submission

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happyhollow-mellowmarsh · 2 years

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It Ain't Much, But It's Honest Work || Epilogue || Nico-Alexis

“You know, it’s funny.” Florence leaned over the stall wall as Nico was running tests on one of the new calves. Not yet. They still didn’t pass on the genes, which meant he had at least a few more years work before he could make a proper break through. “When we were younger, I always thought I’d be the scientist and you’d be the entertainer.”

“What?” Nico looked up, expression utterly confused. “I’m not a scientist.”

“Nico, my dear cow, you get research grants. You are currently testing what causes magical genes to pass on to the next generation. You are a scientist.”

He looks down at the calf, who was very happy in his arms, then back at Flori. Then the cow. Then Flori. Then the cow. “But this is a cow.”

“Yes, Nico. Science can involve cows.”

“So… I’m a cow scientist?”

“I guess? I think there’s a better term for it, but this is definitely science. Magic science, but still science all the same. It’s impressive. And you’ve worked hard for it.” Florence gave a little smile. “I’m proud of you, you know? I always knew you could do great things if you tried, but it was hard for you to find something you really wanted. But here you are, mister dad of soon to be two kids and many cows.”

“Don’t call the calves my kids! Mal still makes fun of me for that.”

“Well, maybe you shouldn’t have been bottle feeding a calf in the living room. Did you consider that?”

“She was hungry!”

“And you have a barn, and a whole farm, but it had to be in the livingroom.”

“Bev lives indoors most of the time, and she decided the calf was her baby now.”

“Ah yes, Beverage. You’re lucky she takes on the fosterlings so well.”

Nico smiled. He was forever proud of his little familiar. Despite her size and the fact she was still super needy at all times, she was more than willing to help him with his research. Having one magical cow to work with as a base meant that he could study her to see what made her tick.

“...Fuck, I am a scientist.”

“Language. You don’t want Basil to pick up on it.”

He stuck his tongue out at his dearest friend. He’d been so afraid, before the killing game, that Florence and Ivy would drift away from him. Despite it being near a decade later, that still hadn’t happened. And it probably wouldn’t ever happen. Not with them, not with his other friends either.

---

They began with a landfill. With special permission and pressure from those Nico had made promises too about his research, they had agreed to let him build his farm there. The amount of pollution was important. The first viable subject, born at the tail end of his apprenticeship with Whimsy, needed something to eat. He and Aisling could purify some land for themselves and the other cows.

They built a house, exactly as they wanted it, a massive thing with way too many bedrooms for their various friends and family. That’s what the couple had agreed one. They wanted to make everyone feel welcome. They wanted them to have rooms of their own, a place to take root. Somewhere safe and away from the burdens of human society.

The cows were happy in their little fields, protected by the barriers around the farm. A few people had tried to break in to steal his research, and Nico was having none of that. With magic, research grants, and bribing some companies by promising to bring his herd to clean up their messes, the O’Shaughnessy farm was flourishing. They, and by they I mean Aisling, could grow all the crops they needed to live, and so they rarely needed to leave. The farm was a bit isolated, due to location, but that just meant over time they could buy up more and more land to expand.

And expand they did, in more than one way. For all their work kept them busy, their family grew. Kerry-Basil was the most spoiled child in the history of all children, and Betsy-Rose was bound to be the same. With all the aunts, uncles, and auncles in their lives, it was no surprise.

---

Whimsy’s group of apprentices were a bit odd, but they were a good bunch. Nico was particularly fond of Elliott, for all that he was a Monty simp, he was a well meaning nerd. They hung out regularly, and Nico often bounded ideas off the cheese loving man.

It was funny that the person, aside from his mentor, that he worked with the most was actually Haven. It made sense, given their love of magical creatures, that they would probably be the best person to turn to. When it came to helping shape the herd into what they needed to be, Haven was their partner in crime.

The first successful magicow Nico named Casserole, after his beloved Beverage. Cassy for short. While she could eat pollution, she could not live off it completely, and clean air just wasn’t great for her. She needed to be in a constant stream of toxins in order to thrive. While that might be good right now… Well, someday, he hoped, the world would be clean enough that his cows could live off fresh grass and simply curb the new pollutions built up.

“This is good, but I want her to have a higher quality of life… This is a good start.”

---

Midway through his apprenticeship with Whimsy, Nico received some bad news.

He was conflicted, showing up to her funeral. Nico had loved his grandmother, for all the pain that she put him through. But he had hated her as well. He wanted nothing to do with her, and that was part of why he fully intended to take Aisling’s name. (Also because she was amazing and he wanted to be with her forever.)

But he didn’t know what to feel on the day. Stood in the sunset after the ashes had been spread, Nico found himself reaching out for his sister’s hand. Though he loved Ashmary, they’d be distant over the years. She was dedicated to her work and he was dedicated to his. There was love, but there was no time. He’d always wanted to say something to her, though.

“I think I understand now, why you forgave her…” Nico admitted, softly.

Ashmary scoffed. “Yes, because me telling you why before wasn’t enough.”

“It was, but I didn’t really understand it. Not emotionally. I guess it was never the same for me.” He sighs. “What she did to you, to us, was wrong. But, if I kept hating her, if I actively chose not to forgive, then she’d be weighing on me forever. I’m too tired to keep that up.”

“Yes, Alexis, that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to explain to you for the last ten years.”

He laughed a little. “I know. I guess I realized it after the killing game. Even though he hurt us, I couldn’t keep hating Hex. I forgave him selfishly. And I forgave Kanade maliciously. I won’t yell at or punish her. My compassion is my vengeance.”

“True enough. I think, living with her and letting her see how I thrived despite everything that she put me through was how I punished the old witch- Wait, ah, is that insulting to say, cause, you know…”

Unable to help himself, Nico laughed. He felt so much lighter now, having finally admitting it. It anyone would understand him, it would be his big sister.

---

His little sister, on the other hand, was a problem.

“I’m not actually your sister, you know.” The feelnix Lynn eyed him carefully as he sat with her in liminal space.

“I know. But, I kinda put my feelings about her onto you. And I’m really sorry about that. Did you want me to call you something else?” The boy smiles timidly at her, unsure of where to go from here.

“Lynn’s fine. Anything’s fine. I’m gonna be honest, now that you’re more stable, I’m probably going to shed my current molt of you, and her, soon. I’m not meant to dwell in a human’s emotions for so long. Maybe if someone was better about them-”

“Hey, hey! I am actually going to therapy now!” Nico raised his hands placatingly. “And I’ve got people to look out for me now, and everything. I’ll be fine.”

The bird-girl tipped her head to the side, curiously. “Is that what you wanted to talk about today then?”

“Yeah… I think, we should probably go our separate ways. You need to fly free, and I need to stop thinking about how Lynn would have been so much better than me, if she lived. I had a lot of complicated feelings about it. Guilt about her, and my parents. But I think I need to let go of you, and of her. I want to move on.”

He tried not to flinch at the sound of crackling, as the girl beside him burst into flames. Feathers scattered around her, blazing with years of unresolved emotions, and in the place of the girl was a goose. In her true feelnix form, she was so tiny.

“Thank you for always looking out for me. I’ll be okay now.”

With one final honk, Nico and the feelnix went their separate ways.

---

It was a life’s work, making the void cows. A life spent researching, fostering, nurturing, and working to master different elements. But, it was a masterpiece.

Optimus Prime, known to most as Tim, was the first of the herd to be able to pass on his genes, to create other magical void cows. With the success of a progenitor, it was time for the breed to get a name of their own, something to define them.

The O’Shaunessy Auroch.

They started out small, miniature, like Bev, so they could live in cities as miniature horses did. However, upon consume vast amounts of pollution, they began to grow larger and larger until they resembled the great beasts they were named after. These herds of black cattle would someday roam the world.

Oddly enough, despite not being named after him, many of the herd had a particular rib and spine like pattern of white fur down their backs, tracing the edges of their bones. Nico, personally, thought the world was playing a prank on him.

Either that, or Aisling had been doing something to their grass.

#nico #epilogue #submission

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happyhollow-mellowmarsh · 2 years

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Dragged To Comfort By Your Ear || Star Lyte || Epilogue

The end of the murder game had been long a distant part of Star's mind. She still had the memories, and nightmares. Those would never go away. Yet since then she had come to respect the witch who put her through it, and also become so busy as to have little time to dwell on things. Projects needed done and dreams needed fulfilling. O top of that she needed to balance her various relationships. It was all, very tiring.

Star groaned, putting her hand to her head as she propped herself up on one arm. She was on a couch. Why was she on a couch? When did she get here again? It was a nice couch.

"Oh you're awake." An amused voice came from within the room. She knew that voice. That explained a bit. That was right. She had come to visit Lianna. At some point she must have fallen asleep on her friends couch.

"How long have I been asleep?" She groaned again, popping her sore neck and she sat up properly and blinked away the spots of sleep.

"About four hours."

"Four hours? Shit, I was supposed to-"

"You were supposed to be hanging out with me and my partners." Lianna cut her off with a hard denial of whatever she was going to say. "So if I let you actually get some damn sleep for once then that is my choice. You work yourself too hard. You need to rest Star. You aren't the only person in the world who needs to try and do something." Lianna was a life coach and a damn good one at that. Which meant her tone with Star right now was stern enough to be near impossible to break through. Lianna hadn't been happy recently with how hard Star had been working towards her goals. She had told Star many times how Star was sacrificing too much for too little. How she needed to relax a bit because the added effort wasn't going to suddenly jump start social reform.

As usual Lianna was right, but Star couldn't just, calm down. She had too much to do for her to calm down. She had to keep working on magic and on creating enchantments for people who needed them. She also had the advancement of magic in society and her projects with Hex to make items for the public good. In the eight years since the murder game. her focus on enchanting had made her one of the best at it there was. Nowhere near what Hex could do but for an apprentice she was pretty damn good. Which was why she felt so obligated to help him with the creations he was making for his punishment.

"I just, have a lot I need to do man. It's important stuff." Star sighed, leaning back against the soft couch. They really did have a nice home.

"And your life isn't important? How often do you get to see your partners? Natalie and Aisling? I know you are still dating." Ah, she was cutting to one of the next parts of her argument. Star hated this part.

"About two times a month, maybe three sometimes?" Of course they were periods of about two days each most of the time. She was too busy to stick around their homes for long.

"Instead you spend more time training or talking to people about magic stuff or working with the dude who literally tortured you. You have a magic bracelet that teleports you and I still haven't seen you in over a month."

"Technically it doesn't really just teleport me wherever I want. It has a few specific locations it can be attu-"

"Don't care. Teleporting bracelet. Shut up." A pillow hit Star's face as Lianna got frustrated at the unnecessary explanation of one of her items. Star just accepted the pillow. The pillow was soft.

"I need to make an item than can fast forward your lectures. They are a pa-" Star got hit with another pillow. She should have expected that. "How many pillows do you have over th-" Star got hit with another pillow. She should have expected that.

"Get your bracelet thingy. right now." Lianna was actually mad. Which meant Star was about to have to deal with some bullshit. It was either that or she would have Mellody look at me sadly. Nobody wanted that. "We are going to visit your partners are you are going to work out a deal to spend more time with them. You are going to make a workshop in their houses or something. I don't fucking care."

"Lianna, shouldn't I like, call first. I can't just-"

"Now!" Another pillow hit Star's head. This was followed up by her shoes hitting the back of her head. How in the hell did that woman move fast enough to grab her shoes in that span of time? She wasn't even magic. Star groaned. There was no winning here.

"Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine. We can go to Aisling's first. Their kids are going to be sleeping soon and I don't want to wake them up." This forced trip was going to use up the remainder of her charges. Which meant she was going to be staying at Lianna's for a bit until her bracelet recharged enough to take her back to Sigil's. At least she wouldn't need to see the fish bitch for a while. That would be nice. "Come on, grab your shit. Also grab some food out of your fridge. Nico gets sad when you show up without food."

"I've got some cold macaroni. Does that work?" She seemed a bit confused about it as she pulled a half empty bowl of macaroni out of her fridge.

"Yeah that's perfect. Come on." Putting her arm around Lianna to make sure she comes along in the transfer, Star fiddles with her bracelet and then in a wibbling of space around them, the two of them vanish out of Lianna's house.

#star #epilogue #submission

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happyhollow-mellowmarsh · 2 years

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Beginning a New Chapter || Epilogue || Aisling

Another sunny day. The weather felt truly perfect. There were moments she missed Ireland still, of course. She would often think about her beloved mentor, Alys. Think about the lush greenery and grey-blue skies, but at the end of it all, this cattle farm in Canada had come to feel like home.

Aisling let out a blissful sigh as she sat out on the porch, a cup of herbal tea in hand, and let the sun warm her face. These days, moments of comfort felt few and far between. Not for a lack of trying, but…

“A mhuirnín, I truly feel like I am about to pop,” Aisling groaned.

“Do we need to go to the hospital? I can have us popped right over, no worries! Do you want me to get Star? I can find Star. I will do it.” Nico, as it turned out, was a very doting and nervous father.

How very much like him. Aisling had grown used to his fussing, at this point, she honestly found it more amusing and endearing than anything else. Really, she was the one carrying this baby, yet Nico worried so much more than her. It was cute.

“It’s fine, I’m fine, it’s just a figure of speech, darling.”

The five years since the killing game has been good to Aisling. Spending a year with Hex, and then two with Root, she felt so much more confident in her magical ability and it all went to good use now on their pleasant little farm.

The cows always had the freshest, most nutritious grass to eat, and they had plenty of crops flourishing in the fields surrounding.

Now, having the ability to create and care for plants practically at will was more invaluable than ever, considering the fact she couldn’t even bend the fuck over.

With some effort, Aisling heaved herself down into a stationary chair on their porch. She used to love rocking chairs, they made her feel so…wise, as silly as it sounded, but they became impossible to manage with just how front heavy she’d become as of late.

“Nico, I’m sure you brought this up before, but what did Fran say about being a godparent again?” Aisling asked.

“Of course. Don’t worry, we’ve got everything settled.” Telling someone not to worry was a little rich from him right now.

“Right, right! I suppose I shouldn’t have even been worried,” Aisling laughed. “Star accepted as well…I already mentioned that, didn’t I? Sorry, darling, my memory is bad even on a good day, but pregnancy brain keeps mixing me up.”

Ugh, really, she was just ready to have this baby already. Nine months really was too long. Whoever said pregnancy was magical had to be full of it. The only “magical” thing about this pregnancy was the fact it was almost over.

“Oh, by the way, I was thrift shopping in town nearby, and I came across some things for Star and Wolf’s rooms! Don’t say it, I know I’m over decorating, but these were musts! I found the cutest little fairy shaped stickers! They glow in the dark! I think you are meant to put them on the ceiling! And for Wolf, there’s this…neon sign shaped like a guitar! It says ‘poggers’ underneath in cursive, isn’t that funny?”

Her sense of humor may have been a little bit broken, but she had the spirit.

Luckily, her sense of humor was one of the many things Nico loved about her. “That’s amazing. He’ll love it. But, he’d love anything from you before you are the sweetest, most wonderful girl in the entire world.”

“I just want them to feel at home here, you know. Star keeps overworking herself, and Wolf…well, I’m so glad Wolf is doing so well, but I just want him to know he has a family with us.”

She was probably being overbearing, just a bit, but she just couldn’t help it.

“I’m sure he knows, honeybee. A wolf’s gotta have to freedom to roam, you know? We’ll see him soon.”

“Aha, well, when this baby is born, we’ll have everyone to visit…oh! That reminds me!” Aisling resisted the urge to get up to her feet to physically show him, and instead summoned Meala, her familiar. “Be a dear and go bring what Alys sent us!”

The butterfly obediently fluttered off into the house. She took a comically long time in there, but eventually fluttered back out, somehow managing to carry out a little green baby blanket. Aisling grabbed the blanket and spread it open to reveal the name ‘Kerry-Basil’.

“Look! Isn’t this just darling? I didn’t even know Alys could KNIT!” She was still just so delighted by it. Aisling settled the blanket on her lap and traced the name with her finger, just feeling vaguely warm when she thought about it. Kerry-Basil. Their baby. With any luck, they’d be entering the world soon, and Aisling could finally introduce them to everyone.

Star, who was fighting so hard to integrate magic and non-magical society that she rarely even made time for herself anymore. But that was okay. She always had a place in their home, and Aisling was sure she’d find a way to get Star to make time to play Auntie.

Natalie, who Aisling had gotten so much closer to during their mutual apprenticeship under Root. Who kept inviting Aisling to her forest so she could finally see those fireflies they’d talked about so long ago. She’d make sure Kerry-Basil could see them too.

To Wolfgang and Tomi, who were so much like little brothers to her at this point it almost felt hard to believe they actually weren’t.

To Fran, the man who was basically a brother to Nico, and in spite of their previous tension, she’d done her best to be better for him, to be someone he didn’t have to worry about.

To Alys and Root, the two strange beings who’d grown to become her beloved mentors.

Her parents, Nico’s friends, even the cows on their farm.

This child would never have to be lonely.

With all of their friends and the little family they’d made for themselves, Kerry-Basil would spend every day cherished and loved, growing up in a world more accepting than before, and with that thought, she could only smile.

Oh.

“Um. Nico… I think my water just broke.”

#aisling #epilogue #submission

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happyhollow-mellowmarsh · 2 years

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#erika #epilogue #submission

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happyhollow-mellowmarsh · 2 years

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#epilogue #nyao

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happyhollow-mellowmarsh · 2 years

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The Sun Bleeds Red || Epilogue || Hozuki

Hozuki, equipped with her airsoft rifle, walked into the locker room before the competition as she normally did. In one hand, she held a bag filled with her costume, necessary for her privacy of course. In the other, a bucket filled with pellets, since the team was running low.

It was pitch black, indicating the rest of her teammates arrived late. Having taken the last-minute detour to pick up the pellets, she had an excuse. But the others? Hozuki let out a sigh and reached for the light switch, flipping it on.

"SURPRISE!!" the sound of five people shouting, one in particular at the top of their lungs, filled the room. A couple of confetti poppers fired, noisemakers spun, celebratory hoots and hollers honored the young woman who just walked in with an unamused and near-blank expression.

A few handmade decorations marking a 20th birthday celebration were suspended from the walls. Hozuki sighed again, looking to the Seita and Yuzuki standing next to a tiered cake. "I told you not to go all out like this."

Seita, a young man not too much older than her, piped up. "We didn't go all-out! We're just in a locker room, yakknow? We could've booked a venue or a restaurant, ehehehe." He held out a glass of champagne towards her. "Here. Pre-competition drink. It's legal for you now, and don't pretend I didn't know you drank before now."

Hozuki hesitated before reaching out and taking the glass, sipping lightly on the rim. A small chapstick smear was left behind on the edge as she pulled away, allowing the bubbles to settle in her throat.

It had been four years, she pondered as she stared at the champagne. 4 years since she opted to leave the apprenticeship in favor of returning to her yakuza life. She was still unsure if that had been the right decision for her, with her angry and impulsive teenager brain running rampant, but it was far too late at that point.

She'd slid back into her everyday, minus the visits with her sister. Katsumi had, predictably, completely shut Hozuki out of her life after receiving some unfortunate messages. She was on... what, her third game? tsk. Nonetheless, her body count went up and the amount of followers her age in the yakuza went up, too. She'd amassed a decent coalition of supporters over the years.

And then, there was Seita. Seita, Seita, Seita. Innocent boy. "Hey, though, before we go out for the match can I talk to you outside?" He asked quietly. It was well-known to the whole team that Seita and Hozuki were close, so it wasn't unusual. Hozuki simply nodded as the two began to walk outside.

"Listen, Hozuki." He held his hands together. "I know you have me, the team, and somehow Nya-o as friends, but... You have to know I'm not as dumb as you think I am. I know you and Yuzuki are in the underground. Uh. Y'know. Crime people."

Hozuki blinked. Did he now? After playing dumb for the whole, what... 8 years they'd known each other? She maintained her silence, trying to feel out where he was going with this.

"S-So... I'm going to ask now. After this competition, do you think you could stop? Maybe we could be roommates or something... I don't know. I could help you with college stuff and being normal. Maybe you could get better about it." He paused. "And I know this is going to sound mean to say on your birthday, but, I think if you keep going through with your drug money stuff, I'm going to have to find a new team. I didn't bother asking Yuzuki, since I know she'd do whatever you do." He closed his mouth.

Drug money? Was that what Seita thought she did? Sold drugs? Nothing else? She was baffled in the moment, contemplating how to reply, but before she could say a word, Seita stood up and began to leave.

"Just... think about it, alright?" Seita nodded as he departed.

-----

It was Hozuki's 24th birthday. She sat up from her futon, wiping away her dream dust as she stared at the consequences of her decisions. The shrine for Yuzuki was in place in the corner, the last stick of incense having been burned down to a nub. After stretching a few times, she stood up to her feet and looked around for her kimono. She was supposed to be meeting with members of the Yamaguchi-gumi today, in some sort of attempt towards making a truce. Of course, as the new head of the Hanasaku-gumi, none of your rivals knew exactly how brutal you could be just yet.

They thought they had the upper hand, getting to negotiate with such a young leader with 'flimsy' support. But they had her underestimated, she thought as she twirled strands of her long hair around a magnolia hairpin. Her weaknesses could become her strength. A reminder of her mortality, but also a weapon she could use to her advantage.

Fully dressed, she slipped on her sandals, making sure to slip one pistol into her obi, well hidden, as she had done every done since she'd taken leadership.

She passed through her house, the shrine for her parents resting in the kitchen. Hozuki placed a red bean bun on the edge of the photos. It would be the last offering she'd give for the morning before meeting up with her guards. Ah... her own guards.

She'd accomplished her goal, but at the cost of no one she used to hold dear remaining at her side.

The blood on the path she'd paved included both her enemies and her loved ones. Click. Clack. Her wooden shoes tapped against the concrete with each step she took towards the tinted-windowed car.

#hozuki #epilogue #submission

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