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!

[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.]

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?"

[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?

[wooden_one]

[He'd resigned himself to the fact that Wei Wuxian is naturally touchy and, so long as it didn't go overboard he'd just have to deal with it.

A touch on the arm is hardly overboard but he brushes it off. He really...shouldn't have let himself get used to these things. To being casually touched, to words like 'looking for you, of course' as if...as if someone would want to see him without reason.

He needs distance. He needs to not indulge in these things that he won't have when he goes back.]

Of course. I could hardly let myself become trapped here. My sect needs me. [Also there's the trouble Mo Ran had found himself in.]

[espritdecorpse]

Good. I'm glad.

[ He exhales, looking very relieved. ]

These doors... it seems as though we might be able to come back through them, and meet one another again. Did you get a hen feather? We could write to each other! I'm not sure how time works outside of this place, though.

[noholdsbard]

Tristan immediately turns his gaze away, knowing that lying won’t help him here, and yet painfully aware that he can’t quite meet the man’s eyes even as he tells the truth.

“I still have business here.”

As to what business that is in particular, he quickly adds—“It is a private affair. Certainly nothing you need worry about.”

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!! ]

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...

[noholdsbard]

[ The sound of his name gets him to start. She usually wouldn’t bother, which means that this is something she definitely wants him to hear. ]

Berserker…what a surprise.

[ She hasn’t left yet? But then he glances at some of the flowers the townspeople had planted a few months before, realizing that winter will soon be upon them. How sad…

With a rueful smile, he continues: ]

How may I be of assistance?

[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. ]

[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?

[wooden_one]

I gave it back to the hen.

[But, oh. The way he was talking, it was as if he...wanted to meet again or to keep in touch.]

...I'm not sure when I can visit, but, we can still leave letters for each other in this place.

[queenofminiskirts]

[She laughs.]

Who said I was drinking? I'm just here to get you drunk!

[wooden_one]

He looks from Tristan to the forest and back. He might have bought that excuse if Tristan didn't have a tendency (in Chu Wanning's mind) of not taking care of himself and trying to punish himself.

"What sort of business requires you to venture into the forest?"

[noholdsbard]

[ …No. ]

No.

[noholdsbard]

Chu Wanning is perfectly accurate in his assessment and the fact that he doesn’t buy that excuse immediately worries Tristan. Still, Tristan is resolved to move forward, so…

“As I have said, it is private”—glancing at his harp—“for it concerns a lady.” Maybe that will put the man off!

[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.

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.

[queenofminiskirts]

Why not? If it's about money, you can pay in monthly installments!

[WHY IS THIS COSTING HIM MONEY NOW?]

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?

B

[good_ideas]

[Shiho raises an eyebrow at him, trying her best to look imperious and not crack up laughing.]

Who are you again?

[wooden_one]

He looks, again, between the forest and Tristan. His expression is one that should be familiar: Tristan's intelligence is being judged and it's found lacking.

"What business could you possibly have with a lady in the middle of the forest?"

A forest that is known to be dangerous...? Also, his mind totally doesn't go anywhere filthy. It didn't even occur to him to think that way at all.