The End.

[awashmods]

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. If turnips were watches, I'd wear one by my side. If "if's" and "and's" were pots and pans, There'd be no work for tinkers' hands.

nce upon a time... There was a Town. And in this Town, there were many brave people who worked together to return color to its walls, its trees, its life. For many, many months they toiled, and in the end, they were able to avoid the pitfalls of those who had come before, and save not only themselves, but a Town that had originally borne no connection to them. And in the end, they were given the opportunity to write out the ending to their own tale. Two wrote into existence doors, leading back to the homes of these brave people. One wrote keys, another the way to find them. Another purified and protected the fairy tale, keeping it safe from evil. One found herself holding a multitude of pastries, and was delighted. Two worked together to find a way to access another, blue dimension that had always been a part of their lives, and two more focused on making certain that memories could be retained or forgotten by the wishes of the townsfolk -- in the form of red and blue pills. Yet another wrote to give courage to everyone who remained. Others thought more personally. Two chose to make certain that they could follow their loves home. One chose to remember all he had learned in the Town, to carry those lessons back home. And the Town itself was not forgotten. One chose to keep supplies generating in the Town, and another to keep a cafe there running for those who remained after. Another wrote to make certain that any that came after would remember the sacrifices, heroism and efforts of everyone in the Town. Another summoned a grandiose place that would remain no matter what, a place of refuge for any who might wander into the Town. And so the end came, and with keys in hand, the doors to their homes opened, and those who were in the Town were granted the choice -- to return home, or remain. They looked deep inside of themselves, knowing that such a decision could come only from the heart, and one by one, made their choices. The Town was left as it was, colorful and bright and vibrant, but empty of all but those who chose to stay. And the others...? They returned home, standing tall, new hardships conquered, and ready to face their own struggles in their own worlds. THE END Thank you for sticking with us to the end, everyone! We hope you've had a good time -- and that you're satisfied with the outcome of this story. If there are any questions, please ask them here. A final, proper farewell from the mods can be found here. Thank you!

Comments

[noholdsbard]

i. The road home
You’ll find him wandering about the streets, seemingly in no particular hurry even as everyone else seems to be preparing for the final journey home. As always, he can be found strumming his harp, a single strand of golden hair glinting among the strings, though for the moment he’s paused in his playing to address you.

“So this is to be farewell.”

ii. The edge of the forest
With most of the Town already gone, Tristan makes his way to the edge of the forest in Flavo. As always, the place looms tall and shadowy before him. Before he moves to enter it, however, he stops mid-stride, hearing the sound of someone’s approach.

“Why do you linger?” His expression softens from surprise to sadness as a terrible idea dawns upon him.

“Don’t tell me…can you not return home after all?”

iii. Wildcard!

ii

[wooden_one]

He should already have left. It's what he keeps telling himself. The longer he lingers...well, it certainly wouldn't get better.

And yet...he lingered anyway. He lingered because he wanted...he wanted to live in this moment just a little longer. He'd been reassured that time didn't move back home and, even if it did, it had been early evening when he left. He had time still.

He didn't expect to see someone else still here.

"Of course I can." As to the why...well. He's not answering that. "Why are you still here? Shouldn't you be heading back yourself?"

i.

[uuuh]

[Fran can tell that something's up long before she even approaches him. It could be the cadence of the music or the complete lack of hurry in his actions.

It confuses her; from what he's told her, he won't simply return to the Throne when he leaves the town. A Master - a singularly talented one - still waits for him. But he must have his reasons, even if her first inclination might be to write them off as foolish.

Fran's a flurry of energy as everyone else gets ready to leave, her own excitement about there being an actual satisfying ending coming out in all of her actions. She trots over towards the source of the sound, kicking up dust as she goes.

She shakes her head vigorously to clear it, then groans out a slow word.]

...Archer...

i;...............

[neronian]

[ Of course, Nero has to go back. Their Master has so much to do, humanity's future to save. Though this place is not her Rome, she would be lying if she didn't have an emotional attachment to it. What she doesn't expect however, is to see Tristan wandering about in the streets. Shouldn't he be hustling more? ]

Hm? Archer, what do you mean?

i

[holycurse]

"It is."

Xie Lian nods at the statement, eyes lingering on the hair on that harp for a moment before turning back up to Archer's face. He doesn't look particularly excited to be leaving, simply smiling his usual calm smile, like this isn't the end of a particularly exciting adventure.

"You've been a good companion, Archer. I hope your future is a bright one."

remember i said i was gonna do this last year?

[espritdecorpse]

[ He'd remembered this little world when he'd gone home, but had quickly gotten himself swept up in the whirlwind of events back home. He hadn't really had a chance to catch his breath until the whole mystery had been unraveled.

After that, it seemed that he had nothing else but time.

And so it happens, by chance a little over a year since he'd left the town of Chroma, he gets the idea in his head to come back and visit. Said idea probably has something to do with the quantity of birthday wine he consumed that evening; and also the fact that Lan Zhan conked out at his usual ridiculously early hour, so there is no one around to discourage his bad ideas.

It doesn't take him long to find his key. The door opens right where he stands. After a moment's hesitation, he pushes his way back into the fairy tale village. ]

Helloooooooo! Anyone here?

[queenofminiskirts]

i: She's Good at Goodbyes...Sort Of

[This was the day she'd been waiting for since arriving here over a year ago: the day they find a day home. Yet...now that the time is here she's in no hurry to leave.

In fact, she goes out of her way to find everyone she cares about first because...because she'll miss them terribly.

But of course, she can't just do things quietly.

That's why she's flying into you from behind, wrapping her arms unabashedly around your shoulders. The impact is gentled by her powers and she's surprisingly light.]

You weren't going to skip out on saying goodbye, were you?

[She's teasing, of course. But it's definitely less over the top than usual.]


ii: If It's The End We Should Go Out With a Bang

[Naturally, after she goes back, she tries the door to make sure it works the otherway around and...it does!

Which gives her another idea.

You might catch her, dressed up in a fancy dress as she carried...was that a buffet table? There's even all those food heating things! Where did all this come from? It almost look like she stole it from a cruiseship of some kind (which was exactly what she did except she didn't steal anything it's her ship now so all this technically belongs to her.

When she sees you, her eyes light up.]

Hey! Come help me set up!


iii: She Wouldn't Be Kaoru If She Didn't Do This

[Or you know, you might catch her after she'd emptied the Catastrophe's bar and brought all its alcohol and even a lot of the glasses with her.

So there she is, sitting at a table when you feel an invisible force pulling you insistently towards her. If you allow it, she'll link arms with you with a big smile.]

Welcome, young master~. [Or 'miss'. Being a woman won't save you.

In fact, just this once, no matter who you are it won't save you. It's the last day. She's allowed to be ridiculous.]

iii

[noholdsbard]

[ Excuse him while he begins flailing helplessly at that invisible force dragging him forward. On the one hand, he can guess at it source—on the other, he could’ve used a warning here, you know!! ]

Kaoru, this is…

[ Her fine clothes, a buffet table, and are those… ]

Young ladies should not take to drink.

[ Just give him a moment!! ]

iii

[asano_san]

[This should be a dream come true, but Keigo takes one look at the array of alcohol and starts shaking his head vigorously.]

Oh no! I'm not drinking again!

[It's all fun and games until you're puking in the bushes.]

i - now in the right gd place

[satanslash]

[He knows who it is before she even speaks. Hell, before she even fully clings to him from behind.

Some goodbyes were going to be more difficult than others.

This was one of them.

He wasn't trying to avoid her exactly, or anyone for that matter, but some part of him that still wanted to cling to this place for all it's horrible incidents and heartbreaking moments thought that maybe if he just... didn't... everyone would wake up the next morning with things as they had been for the past year plus.

A foolish thought, he knew, but it was there.]

'course not...

ii.

[alittlespicy]

Mn.

[ Wangji's look and his voice - they are both soft, for all his face is impassive as usual. He might be a touch older, not that it shows too much with cultivators. But he is very much happy to see her. ]

Might need instructions. Arrangements differ from what I know.

[ The very cutlery differs, in all fairness, but details. And of course he'll help. ]

[wooden_one]

i: Some Unfinished Business

[All the efforts he'd put into building the Holy Night Guardian (or a version of it) wasn't wasted even if he hadn't been able to finish earlier. Rather, with so many people leaving Chroma it may be more important than ever.

He had his hair pulled into a high ponytail as he sat outside, putting some finishing touches on the mecha. Then he pressed a hand to it, his palm flat against the surface of its torso. There's a faint glow, where he's made contact. He draws his hand back when it stops and when he does, the mecha stands up on its own.

He stood up as well, observing his creation for a moment.]

...it's satisfactory.


ii: He's bad at goodbyes

[He knew where his door was, of course. And he fully intended on leaving as soon as he'd finished with the mecha but...

He lingers. Not even at the door leading home. In fact, he hasn't even managed to step into the building it was hidden within.

In fact, he's standing in front of it now, trying to convince himself that he should just...leave now. It wouldn't do to delay. It wouldn't...it wouldn't help to stay any longer. What good would saying goodbye be, anyway? Wouldn't it just hurt more?

He pressed his mouth into a severe line.]

...useless.

[And then he flicked his sleeve and turned to go...somewhere else. And that's when he spots you. His eyes widened for a moment. How long have you been standing there? Long enough to watch him indecisively stand at the door for the last few minutes? Or did you just arrive? Either way, he turns his gaze away.]

What are you doing here?

[espritdecorpse]

Looking for you, of course!

[ This place... it's been kinder to him in so many ways, more than he ever deserved. Part of him is excited to go on to live the rest of his life with Lan Zhan. But he's also terribly sad to see his friends—old and new—go.

He rushes forwards, touching Chu WanNing on the arm. ]

Did you find your page? Is it in the book?

[shizun]

[ So, it's over.

It feels more like an ending to an arc than the ending of a story, but perhaps, it is because he thinks of all the lives of the people that have come to be in Chroma.

From what they've experienced, their stories are going to change. The story of this world may be over, but theirs is going to keep going. He can only hope that what awaits them is a happy ending.

Ah. His head tilts to the side as he realizes that he really has become an old man. Still for all the fighting with trees, for all the nonsense of colors, for all the running around that he has done, he can look back at the time that he's spent and say:

"I had fun."

His head tilts the other way. He really feels like he's become quite the old fogie. He wonders when that has happened, especially when there are those much older than him. Still, he is a proper old gentleman and decides that he needs to give a proper goodbye before he returns to his own world.

At least ... that's his intention, but there are those that are going to have to remain in this world. So, he can't help but feel like, it isn't quite right to leave them to their own devices, okay? It's like leaving the dog with a bag of dog food and water and wishing them a good life?!

How could he leave with a clear conscience? Isn't this the sort of thing that'll have a person come burst into his world and cause trouble for abandoning them? He feels that way, anyway!!

So instead, he says instead of a goodbye: ]

Perhaps, it will be okay if I stay here for a little bit.

[ He offers a smile; it feels mysterious and hides his intention to stay until he can find a way for everyone to return back home. Because ... if he tried to put it into words, it is ... his situation of being transmigrated into another world is quite similar to those that were brought here, and so, if there is a means to help them... he would like to help them find peace so they can go where they need to go.

He'll stay until that day comes, anyway. Surely, time will wait for him back in his own world? If not, well, he's immortal ... it'll work out somehow.

It'll work out.

His fan opens and he smiles with his eyes. ]

[noholdsbard]

[ That gets Tristan to start, before he looks around town with a wistful gaze. For the longest time, he’d seen the people and the colors come and go; and now… ]

But Shifu…

[ He stares at the ground. He hadn’t really told anyone about his missing page, though anyone attentive enough to leaf through the entire book would’ve discovered it missing anyway. ]

As beautiful as this world now is, you belong elsewhere.

[espritdecorpse]

A-Qiu!

[ Thank goodness! He'd wondered if Shen Qingqiu might disappear quietly without fanfare or goodbyes. That seems like his style, somehow. So he's relieved and happy to find the man elegantly wafting his way about the town. ]

You're still here! I'm glad!

[ He starts to say something else, but thinks better of it. And then he looks up, his eyes sparkling with merriment. ]

You know, if you're not so eager to go to your home, I've got a suggestion. Come home with me!

[ Hadn't Shen Qingqiu offered to take him home? It's only proper that he should return the invitation. ]

[queenofminiskirts]

[Naturally, when Kaoru spots him she immediately flies (literally) over to link arms. She tilted her head.]

It should be fine, since there's a barrier and all, but...doesn't Sensei need to go back?

[She knows he's worried about things back home...except he didn't seem too concerned right now?]

[wooden_one]

[He stares for a moment.]

I'm not sure that's wise. [He's frowning, worried. But...Shen Qingqiu is a Peak Lord, a Sect Elder in his own right. Surely...he knows what he's doing?] I have finished the mecha. In case of an emergency it should activate.

[asano_san]

a. One last time with the usual Keigo bs

[Their trials are almost over, their happily ever after in sight, but Keigo finds himself faced with one last challenge. It sends him out in search of wise counsel.]

How am I supposed to decide what to do with the feather?

[Or maybe someone takes one last look at their Chroma-provided laptop to find he covered all of his bases, with one final post from #AED6F1.]

How am I supposed to decide what to do with the feather?

[He's decided on his most important question. Why mess with it? At least those asked the question in person have the benefit(?) of said light-blue bordering on green feather being waved in their faces.]

b. General goodbyes

[Keigo is eager to return home, but not so much that he won't take a minute to find his friends before leaving.]

You're not going to forget me, are you?

b!

[noholdsbard]

Never.

[ Tristan gives him a wistful smile. Of all the people in town, he’s glad that Keigo at least gets to go home. That guy seems to need it most of all. ]

Never, for as long as I live.

[ Which isn’t very long because he’s kind of well past the realm of the living already, but still!! ]

b

[deathscyther]

[A lopsided smile, eyes actually betraying a hint of sadness. He was trying to play it tough, but despite his lacking social interaction Duo had managed to make a few friends here.]

Kinda hard to forget someone like you.

[pyrafect]

I
[ Pyra can be found just about anywhere in the town, walking down the canals in Bluo, the would-be-gardens in Flavo, and along the bricked buildings within Ruga. Everything has become... not like a home, but close enough. This world is filled with those she loves, those she's fought alongside, those she used to laugh with, those she has gotten to know. She's glad she was able to contribute what she could to protect it, even if it doesn't seem like much.

She stops as she sees you. ]

So this is goodbye...

II
[ WILDCARD hmu but also I WANNA SAY I LOVED EVERYONE IN THIS BAR!! ]

i;

[neronian]

[ Nero spots Pyra while she's walking around, taking in the sights of the flowers (that she helped plant, even) for what she presumes is the last time. Ah, but she would never pass up the opportunity to say farewell to one flower in particular. And so she confidently, a bit eagerly even, answers Pyra.

Umu. ]

Yes. Life is full of partings, so bittersweet. This is no exception.

[espritdecorpse]

i. frenetic

[ Anyone he sees, he's going to be bouncing up to them, his face wreathed in smiles and excitement, words veritably bubbling out of him. ]

Did you get your page, do you need help finding it? I know where the chest is, me and Tristan and Pyra found it together! So if you need help, I'm your man, okay?

[ He's just bursting with enthusiasm. ]

ii. cracks in the facade

[ It's a shame to waste all that leftover wine if there's going to be no one around to drink it. Waste not, want not! He was never that big on personal space, and he's even less so now that he's drunk, touching your hand or hooking an arm about your shoulders. ]

I'm... I'm going to miss you. You'll keep in touch, right? Right? We should all make a point of coming back here every year, to reminisce. Actually—why don't you come home with me? That'll be lots more fun!

[ His eyes are bright and his lower lip is wobbling. Somebody cut him off. ]

iii. farewell (closed to Lan Zhan)

[ He'd had to insist on seeing Lan Zhan off, rather than the reverse. It seemed the fairest option, considering. So now they stand, at the little door. He has Lan Zhan's key in his hands, and traces its contours unconsciously with his fingers, before reluctantly setting it in the lock. He doesn't turn it yet, however. ]

This isn't goodbye. It's just see you later, okay?

[ He smiles, lopsided. He's understating things, extremely. From his point of view, it will only be a matter of days before he runs into Lan Zhan again, if what Lan Sizhui told him was accurate. But for Lan Zhan, it will be years. Over a decade. ]

I'm going to want a jug of Emperor's Smile when I get back, make sure you set some aside for me, okay? I've gotten pretty good at making wine, if I do say so myself, but I've never tasted anything as good as that!

[ "Take care of yourself," he wants to say. "Don't miss me too much." But these are all empty words, he knows. Even the prospect of being separated for a few days is making his heart ache. What must Lan Zhan be feeling? ]

[alittlespicy]

Wei Ying.

[ Wangji is relieved that it's not unlocked quite yet. He is not ready to let go. He is never ready to let go, for all that he knows it is sometimes necessary. His heart is in his throat, throbbing, with the memory of home, of the time when he left Wei Ying's exhausted, unconscious form at the foot of the burial mound and went to face his punishment. He has been mostly free of having to relive those memories for months, now, but here they are again, and the pale eyes are full of emotion as they keep looking at looking at the handsome slender face in front of him. ]

Will have wine waiting. [ His fingers move to caress his husband's cheek. Mo Xuanyu. Wangji does not know how long exactly it will be, but when he goes home, this person will be there somewhere, alive. A reason for Wangji to not try and speed the process, should he remember. Their happiness will come at a price. Wangji will not try to make it be paid sooner, selfishly. Perhaps he can make that young man life's easier, a little, instead.

Wangji brings his thoughts back to here and now. It is too precious to waste. ]

Will be waiting. To see you again. To love you again.

[alittlespicy]

i. Return from the quest: Wei Ying

[ It might not be easy to see it, but overall, Wangji is a little rattled, as he, Berkut, and Dextera make their way back to town. With his deft touch with small animals, Wangji is the one who ends up carrying the hen - having made very sure that it agrees to come with them and shows no signs of trying to get away. He's just thinking how, since it does not seem to speak, it cannot answer any questions Wei Ying might have, when they step out of the Wood and into the town...

... and the town changes around them. A burst of color spreads out from where they are, giving everything, everything its proper color, and Wangji stares with his eyes wide full of wonder as the place comes alive, his fingers stroking the soft rainbow-colored feathers gently even in his surprise.

And then his eyes fall on a figure clad in black and red, and his breath hitches. And the hen croons. He looks at his two companions and nods to them to go on. He's found the always-destination of his own. ]

Wei Ying.

ii. Goodbyes - open

[ Wangji is not bad with his hands, nor with his painting, but he is nowhere near Wei Ying's level, so his idea of farewell gifts kind of falls flat. But... well, there is something he can do. Whether the person is staying or leaving, if Wangji knows their preferred food, he will do his best to make it; if he doesn't, he'll still make something nice and tasty. For everyone he knows, and even generally for those he's seen around or knows of and hasn't interacted with much. Goodbyes are hard, and facing whatever awaits at home can be even more so. Wangji might not be able to give more than a moment of awareness that, yes, someone cares enough about you that they will make food for you, but this much he can and does give.

When he can manage - he is still more on the quiet side than anything else - he will also try to ask. ]

Is there anything that you need, before you leave? (Before everyone leaves?)

[ He doesn't sound warm and concerned, because he rarely does. But his town. Everyone in it. Gave him many things that he never expected to have. So he does care and want, genuinely, to give back as much as he can. ]

iii. Family - Lan Sizhui

[ Wangji had only had a relatively short time to get to know the junior, the young man he would raise, but he knew some things already, beyond the shadow of a doubt. Things such as there was kindness in him and gentleness, alongside stubbornness and mischief, all of these different and yet similar to Wei Ying. Such as that Wangji loved the youth as he had grown to love the child.

And such as that he was incredibly, incredibly proud of him.

The two white-clad figures walked to Sizhui's door, the pale eyes gentle and calm. ]

Sizhui. Are you ready?

[ To step back through the door, alone. To return, to what neither Wangji nor even Wei Ying could guide him through from here. To go back to how things had been before he came to Chroma, and yet not quite the same. ]

iv. Visits - open

[ It may take a while for Wangji to try to return. Years, at least. Perhaps even only after he has reunited with Wei Ying, even, and the two of them return to Chroma together, or even through some of the doors where they may have been invited.

And, perhaps, if anyone wishes to visit his world, he has come to bring them with him, in turn.

It might not - it probably has not - been that long in Chroma at all. Time works oddly, after all. Still. He first asks, as it maters, ]

Have you been well?

v. Wildcard.

What it says on the tin. If you want something more specific, hit me over DM or at kikibug13

[espritdecorpse]

[ Coming back from his own quest, he can't help feeling a little sad. They'd discovered a way home, which is good news for most of the town, but for himself, Tristan, and Pyra...

He himself already has his page, as does Lan Zhan. Everyone going home means that their inevitable separation looms as well. Pyra's home is one she destroyed; he's quite sure she doesn't want to go back. As for Tristan... Tristan. He rubs his forehead. Of all things for the man to lose. It's fine. Really, it's fine. He'll help the man look for it later. He'd been willing to do it today, but everyone was too tired, it seemed...

So Lan Zhan sees him, well before he catches sight of Lan Zhan. Actually, because he's looking down, the first thing he notices is a stream of color, shooting across the ground, turning the cobblestones a pretty silver from their usual dull grey. He looks up. Green grass pokes up between the cobblestones. Leaves in so many colors of yellow, red, and gold cover the trees. Painted houses are their correct color, even those not lived in.

Finally, he notices Lan Zhan, standing in the middle of everything. He starts walking quickly towards the man, and then breaks into a run. ]

You did it! Of course you did! I knew you would!

[ He's staring up into Lan Zhan's pale eyes, gold like autumn sunshine. And then his eyes travel down to the hen, in the man's arms. ]

Is that—?

[neronian]

i. emperor of roses;

[ Though this town did not live up to the Rome she loves dearly (though could any town ever? She doubts it), Nero still has a very soft spot for it, having lived here for as long as she did. Mingled with the townfolks as she did. Clad in her brilliant crimson ball dress outfit, her typical attire, she wanders around the streets of Ruga, taking the time to examine the flowers in particular, getting a last sniff or petal touch in. She looks up from one of the flowers she is examining when she hears someone approaching. ]

Hm? A farewell?

[ To the town or to her, it doesn't matter. ]

ii. golden theater of delirium;

[ It is time for Nero to take her leave, to exit this tale. Her Master beckons, humanity beckons, Chaldea beckons. She's sure to regale them with tales of this particular Singularity(-like), and if possible, maybe she'll even bring a couple of Servants to investigate. She's sure Shakespeare and Andersen would take an interest, of all of them.

But there is one more thing she has to do to leave her mark. To create a beacon of sorts, so that the Chaldea crew might have a stronger tether to this world than these mysterious doors, should they wish to investigate (and oh they shall). To leave irrevocable proof that Nero Claudius was here, and that Rome will continue to be here, pulsing through the lifeblood of the town. It is near the town that Nero stands, and she stabs her beloved Aestus Estus into the ground, and shouts, for all to hear: ]

Behold my talent and listen to the thunderous applause! Then praise me! Praise my Golden Theater! Kingdom of Heaven and Hell...My heaven, reconstructed! This is where the limelight shines! My beloved Domus Aurea!

[ A golden theater, magnificent and grandiose, her beloved Domus Aurea, materializes right before any onlooker's eyes, like a digital drawing brought to life. She throws open the golden, gleaming doors, inviting all who seek refuge, respite, and recreation. For those who may come after.

Her Noble Phantasm. Her True Name. It's not as if withholding it would do anything any longer, and she trusts the other inhabitants of this town that even if they did know by now, even if they did know that she is the 5th emperor of ancient Rome, that she was the first Roman emperor to take her own life, that she suppressed religion and the Christians, that she is the Whore of Babylon-

It matters not, because her life was extraordinary. Her belief in herself is extraordinary, and she was true to herself, which is what she cares about most. ]

wildcard;

[ Anything goes!! Feel free to HMU at chlorophylls for any farewell plotting. EVERYONE IN THIS BAR IS GREAT!! ]