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

[theserpentsmiles]

[Nagisa is pretty quiet, so maybe you don't quite notice him at first. After all, he isn't one of the thirty people who woke up in Cartesio two months ago, wasn't in the guest book - there's very little reuniting to be done with him.]

Geez... Good job, guys. And thank you.

[After he's fully awake and has made sure his body is fully functional, he might. Start playing expertly with a knife. Testing his dexterity, mostly.

And a bit later, once everyone's gotten the bulk of the emotional reunions out of the way...]

...! I guess we need to eat again now... Who wants pancakes?

[With that he'll be marching off to see what can be done to make pancakes happen. There are kitchens in town, surely there's ingredients. Nobody will be going hungry on Nagisa's watch.]

[quickpersuader]

[Hello fellow androgynous kid. She spends a moment staring at him with that knife before the proverbial lightbulb goes off over her head.]

The cassette player?

[theserpentsmiles]

[The Keith Confusion duo unites at last. He smiles, mentally running through the guestbook til he matches a face with a name.]

Yeah, I did some of that. You're... Kino-san?

[quickpersuader]

[Poor Keith.]

Right. Do you know that because you read it, or...?

[Were you guys gossiping.]

[theserpentsmiles]

I memorized the guest book pretty soon after I woke up.

[There was at least a little gossip though. How do you think St. Keet happened.]

[quickpersuader]

[That's a mood.]

I had to do pretty much the same thing...

Anyway, thanks for the help - all of you. In case it wasn't obvious, we really needed it.

[theserpentsmiles]

We did what we could... It was frustratingly little. I've been wanting to kill Sergeant-san since the very start...

[If he'd gotten his chance........]

[quickpersuader]

Ah...

I guess I was lucky. I had the same feeling, and I took care of the machine already.

[With an extremely overkill explosive bullet.]

[theserpentsmiles]

If my classmate were here, she probably could have gotten all of you out within a week.

[There's no kill like overkill. It's not Nagisa's style, but it is satisfying.]

[quickpersuader]

If Master were here, she probably would've killed everyone else within a week.

[Overkill indeed.]

I don't think it's worth it to think too hard on "what-ifs."

[theserpentsmiles]

Mm, you're right. I guess I'm just...homesick. I'm used to being able to tackle every problem as a team.

[Not that things will ever be the same, if he goes back there.]

[quickpersuader]

So you're used to operating in some kind of squad...?

[If he's the killing type, but it's not like that's strange to her.]

[clearities]

Nagisa-kun! [ even if he isn't one of the thirty people, Sakura still remembers him and he's getting a hug, whether he likes it or not. ]

[theserpentsmiles]

[Sakura, the reason it's "very little" reuniting to be done, rather than none at all. He isn't quite expecting the hug.]

Ah-! ...It's good to see you again, Kinomoto-san.

[clearities]

You can call me Sakura, you know. [ it's honestly really weird to have people call her 'Kinomoto', especially now that she knows that they're... well. ] But I'm glad to see you, too.

[kingbomber]

If you can actually fucking cook.

[ Because as far as Bakugou's concerned he's the best chef here. ]

[theserpentsmiles]

Don't worry, I can. I make breakfast for my mom and me every day, back home.

[Some of his classmates are incredible chefs, much better than Nagisa. But he is absolutely not a had chef.]

[kingbomber]

[ He still hasn't tasted his food yet so jury's still out for him...! ]

And you think everyone's just going to want only pancakes?

[silvertongueheir]

Do you think they have a diner here as well?