Epilogue

[cartesio]

Welcome to Cartesio!

You open your eyes and see the ceiling of the lodge. There is no real sensation of having slept, but you're still feeling rested. Sitting up, you can see that the building around you is in ruins. Dust and dirt dominate your environment. Around you, there are familiar people - some of them you've been with up until now, some of them you have been brutally forced to part with weeks ago. They all look alright, a little confusion aside.

From a corner of the room, you can hear the soft whirring of a machine. Upon examination, you can see that it's 3D-printing more gelatinous bodies like you've seen earlier today. Every body that is dispensed from the machine is a safe haven for another mind from the simulation, another mind to join your ranks as real people.

After you've adjusted to the new situation and left the lodge, you find yourself greeted with perfect sunshine. There's a town welcoming you, friendly and peaceful. Though it is more modern than what you are used to, there is no mistaking it.

Cartesio, Nevada, welcomes you.

You're new people, in a new world. Every chance it has to offer is open for you.

Comments

[doublelammy]

waking up

[Millium sits up slowly, pushing herself up with her hands before lifting one to examine it, stretching her fingers.

They curl in, then splay out, then in once more. After a moment of doing this in silence, she looks up and smiles at the nearest person.]

...Hiya. Guess we all made it, huh?


outside, I

[Eventually, Millium makes her way outside, and bless her for using some of the very little common sense she has because she makes her way to an open area before lifting her hand to the sky.]

Let's go, Lammy~!

[And with a series of beedle-dee-boops, it appears. Anyone who saw Airgetlam during the short time Millium had it back will notice something different now – namely, that the thing is a solid foot and a half to two feet taller than her, now, where it used to be roughly her height.

Him big. Him big, and him scoop Millium up into one arm before zipping up into the air, Millium's laughter echoing like bells through the sky.]


outside, II

[Later on, Millium can be in the park at the edge of the pond, Lammy safely tucked away wherever she hides the thing. She's holding the bear half as large as she is, hugging it as close to her as she feasibly can while looking out thoughtfully.

It's interesting, this newfound freedom she has. Certainly, this is almost easier than the alternative she had in mind prior to her death, and the idea of being a whole new life is probably a lot easier for her to stomach than for some people here. Still, there's still some mulling over that needs to be done.

Eventually, she looks down at the bear, speaking softly to it.]

...Hey. You better serve her well, okay? Make sure that she n' everyone else make it out of whatever comes next.

But as for me... hey. Lammy?

[Beedle-dee-boop. Her "friend" appears beside her, and she holds out the bear. It fires a single small laser at the bear, hitting its belly and only going long enough to start the "fur" burning.

She sets the bear on its back so that it floats in the pond water, and then pushes the burning bear out.

She watches it for a moment, then turns away with a smile and heads off to find her new family and begin this new life of hers.]

waking up

[robitussin]

[It's unexpected, the wave of emotion that hits her when she sees Millium again, alive and safe. It means that, despite her best efforts, her voice comes out a bit choked.]

...Yeah, I guess we did.

[doublelammy]

[Millium notices that slight choking, and her eyes are warm and gentle when she sets them on Natalie.]

Ehehe... missed me that much, didja~?

[She's teasing, but with how soft her voice is, it's pretty clear she doesn't mean much by it.

She pushes herself to standing, uneasy on her new legs, but nonetheless powers her way over to Natalie to wrap her arms around the other girl's middle.]

I missed you, too.

[robitussin]

[This time, contrary to the last, she doesn't freeze up for more than a second. She returns the embrace with one arm, because her other hand is busy wiping these sudden happy tears out of her eyes. Gross.]

I'm really glad that you're okay.

Outside II

[quickpersuader]

[Kino watches the exchange and- when Millium turns, she'll see Kino wave. There's a motorcycle with her - seems she's been wheeling the thing around since it was printed.]

It's been a while.

[doublelammy]

Kino!

[Kino receives a frantic wavewavewave in return as Millium comes jogging over.]

You got your friend back!

[quickpersuader]

I did.

[And there's a bit of a laugh in her voice even as Hermes speaks up:]

Hey, who's this?

This is Millium. Millium, meet Hermes.

Nice to meet you, Millium!

outside ii

[odasaku]

Millium.

[ oda walks up to her tentatively, knowing how their relationship had turned bumpy after his death. but with this new life, he wants to try and mend some of the things he fucked up. most importantly, her. ]

Things turned out pretty well, huh?

[doublelammy]

Ehe. Yeah, they sure did. Still don't really know how, but we're all here and back t'normal, so I guess I shouldn't ask too many questions.

[She's smiling as she says that, but then goes quiet. Her smile fades, and she regards him a little more seriously now.]

So, hey. This new chance we've got. You're not gonna go and throw it away, are you?

[odasaku]

I won’t.

[ oda says this with a serious look in his eyes. ]

I... was an idiot.

outside I

[integratedsoul]

[ Seeing Lammy is... well, a bit disconcerting, after you have a very strong memory of having your whole body crushed by this specific robot...? But Cian gets over the initial shock pretty quickly. She's cool with Olympia now as well after all, why would she mind Lammy much? ]

It's good to see he's back as well!

[doublelammy]

Yep! And back to normal size, too~!

[Millium comes back down so that she's... well, not face-to-face with Cian, but at least above her enough to look at her face.]

D'you wanna take a ride, too? He can take two people now!

[integratedsoul]

Oh-! Uh...

[ Cian looks hesitant here. Tolerating Lammy's presence is one thing, but flying on him...? That's so...

Cian metaphorically kicks the queasy feeling in her stomach down as soon as she notices this line of thought. She's brave now. She'll nod. ]

Sure!

waking up

[carbide]

So it seems.

[Don't mind Olympia looking you over, Millium. She's got to make sure you were revived properly!]

[doublelammy]

Ehehe... Hey, hey.

You think we can get that thing to print extras of your arms?

[Millium, no. Millium, stop.]

[carbide]

[Olympia stares at her for a moment.]

It depends on the configuration. We may have to settle for printing entire bodies.

outside, II;

[kingbomber]

What was that all about?

[ The whole...teddy bear thing, as she was about to head off and all that anyway. He's here because the pond's still a nice place to be and there's still some things he needs to figure out. ]

[doublelammy]

Oh. Heya, Bakky.

[She glances over her shoulder at the burning teddy bear. It immolates back at her.]

The bear was a gift from Gramps, back in... well, other me's life. And even if that me was the me now, well... that's not the life I'm plannin' on livin' anymore.

So I'm givin' it a badass funeral to mark the start of this life.

[kingbomber]

[ It's like a viking funeral... ]

Saying goodbye to all of that, huh? Good riddance.

[ He'll be shoving his hands into his pockets. ]

You're not staying around in this town, are you?

Outside, I

[silvertongueheir]

[Franciscus has to shade his eyes a bit to watch. After a bit, the Sky Forme Shaymin hovering beside him takes off into the air, doing loops around Airgetlam and Millium while singing out a soft "Min!" He smiles as well as he watches.]

He is very impressive in this form.

[doublelammy]

Hydrangea! Heyyy, buddy!

[And she zips down to be just a little above Franciscus now, since she knows he must be nearby.]

I know, right? You wanna take a ride, too? You can see what Hydrangea sees~!

waking up

[relieable]

[ah. there's someone Osomatsu was looking for. his White Rabbit!

he crawls over to her excitedly]

Milli-chan! [she's here. she's back]

Re: waking up

[doublelammy]

Oso!

[Millium handles this in the best way she can, by getting up and promptly launching herself at Osomatsu for a hug.

Which mostly just means tackling him into the ground, because how do legs even work right now? We just don't know. But it's the thought that counts, right?]

OUTSIDE I

[linearcrash]

[ Lammy was after his execution, so he never got to see it. Those in town they could see and hear also didn't really touch on Lammy's side either. So the whole thing is a new surprise! Whistling as he watches them go.

Then he'll summon his spear into his hands and leap on after. Want to play tag Millium? Nine will have to hop hop on things to keep up. ]

[doublelammy]

[Millium sees him hopping along, and a devillish little grin spreads on her face as she quickly zips along on Lammy to circle Nine once, then dashes off a small distance away.]

C'mon, slowpoke~!