robowest | [ DEPARTURE ]

Entry tags:

game: end

[ DEPARTURE ]

DEPARTURE

It's time to go.

Most people are on the train by now. Settled into their cabins and among friends and loved ones. There are only three new arrivals left to board and once they do, Hal pulls a conductor's hat out from underneath the bar, tugs it on, and steps around it to the middle of the train. He opens his mouth to talk, voice filling the train.

"It's time to go. Stops happen once a day until everyone's departed and I already have your stopped listed. If you'd like to be prioritized, let me know, otherwise we'll go in order of death. Settle in and enjoy the ride. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask, folks."

This, of course, means that those who died earliest (Manfred, Higekiri) will depart first while those who died latest (Barnham, Damian, Percy) will depart last. There's a stop for everyone, though those who want to get off together are more than welcome to. Hal pulls a notepad and pen out of his pocket later and people will notice that he goes around the train confirming stops with everyone. Whatever feeling Hal may have had to a character back in town isn't noticeable here -- he is simply a robot assigned with a job.

After that, it's all a matter of settling in and enjoying the ride. If that's possible for you, at least.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

They're ours, aren't they? As awful and fucked up as they are they're still ours and they're still memories we earned. I want to remember all of the people and the things I've learned from them. I think I'm going to need to remember them for my next war.

[Finally though...finally, he wraps his arms around Sara in a real hug.] I'm still sorry though. Maybe if you knew what I was doing you would have been able to pick someone else.

Maybe. But I think even if it was kind of a mess getting here, everyone's where they need to be anyway. And in the end, I'm glad you were the last one standing--

Even if I really wanted to punch Barnham.

[ Lovingly.

But she's finally comfortable settling into this hug. ]

I don't know if I'm glad yet. But if everyone is safe and happy that's all that matters. And what ds I say about going early on Mr. Barnham? If you're going to punch him, do it in the arm instead of the face.

I said I wanted to punch him, not that I was going to follow through on it.

... There's a lot I have to do for him first, anyway.

Can I ask like what?

... Well.

[ WELL. ]

Nah, it's a secret.

[He makes a face.] On second thought? Maybe I don't want to know.

Things here. They've been okay for you guys? Hal told me you could see everything.

... Everyone kind of threw a fit when we saw the duel, and we knew about Barnham before all of you, but... well, you knew that. For the most part, we've been fine.

[ Sara, anyway. And she's been running damage control, for the most part. ]

The duel was my idea. I didn't know they would try what they did. So...that's understandable. We wanted to make this as easy on the rest of the living as possible. Damian was our rogue.

Go figure... it would be the kid who wouldn't let me drag him to the clinic after he got hit by deer.

[ She's just... grimacing. ]

Damian doesn't like to let people help him. He took this on himself because he wanted to make sure I would be the winner. It was kind of a stupid reason but I can see it. He wanted to be in control. Is that really so bad?

I'm not saying it's bad, I'm just saying... well, that I wish it hadn't come to that. But I thought that way about this whole thing--

... At least, if nothing else, it came to an end. I'm grateful for that.

I am, too. I think it's going to take a while to get over this, but at least we have a long ride home to figure it all out. That's gotta count for something.

Yeah... since I'm pretty sure at least half of you still need naps.

[ Don't front. ]

Doesn't that count for you, too? What happened to having a free day?

I've been here for close to two weeks and aside from talking down a ton of people who were pissed at Barnham, I've had nothing but days of sleeping in.

[ SHE'S FINE. ]

I can appreciate that. Maybe I'll take a nap before our stop. Who knows when we'll sleep again. So back to teaching when you get off the train?

... [ Something in Sara's expression flashes... bittersweet. Even her laugh is a little more subdued than usual, as she slowly shakes her head. ]

My time as a teacher is over. With the way things are now, I'm going back to being a bracer.

[...Sara :( At that, he looks at her carefully for any other tells in her expression. He can read people enough now to kind of pick up on those things.]

The fighters that help the people, right? The neutral party. [He remembers that story.] ...you'll be great. After all of this? You'll help out even more people.

[ She's all right. Sara's also perceptive enough to hide her own tells, but for now, she just looks... tiredly accepting. ]

That's all I ever wanted in the first place, honestly. And I didn't get a chance to do much of that here... I've gotta kick myself into gear.

You served as a motivator for a lot of us, including me and Noct. What do you mean you didn't get to do much of that here?

I didn't get to punch half the people I wanted.

There's still a full train of people, Sara. You could track them down if you really wanted to.

Believe it or not, you're not allowed to be violent here.

[ OKAY... ]

...then what was Felix talking about in his letter to me? [What.]

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