Epilogue

[lesmodsalouette]

EPILOGUE

Your stopped time has restarted. Whether you were in the grassy field or fighting for your life on the castle grounds, you'll suddenly find yourself in an untouched area of the gardens. Ish is back, and so are the items, and the dead.

You return to Chateau Ambregris with the certain knowledge that come Monday, you will greet a new week, in a home of your own choosing. No longer will the chime of the clocks hunt you down, no longer will the oppressive scent of roses haunt your senses, no longer will you be forced to watch the death of those you've come to love and hate.

Parting is such a bittersweet sorrow, isn't it?

Make merry one last time, in this castle of illusions. Ironically, your memories of this stolen time that never existed are the one thing that will truly remain to you.

END NOTES

🔮 All dead are revived as tsukumogami! Congrats on your immortality(?)
🔮 Any other contracts made with Ish will be honored
🔮 Characters may choose to leave for any world they desire.
🔮 Time has not passed while you were stuck in this loop!
🔮 There will be no cross-dimensional world travel, except for on Samhain (Witches New Year October 31st/November 1st). On these dates, Ish will enable everyone to visit each other's world freely.
🔮 Universal Communication will be possible, courtesy of Manba and Ish. Everyone who wants one will be given a small fox that can communicate with other foxes through voice and video; the foxes can talk and are fairly simple creatures, enjoy them and give them fried tofu once in a while.
🔮 Powers are on for the finale, but Ish will step in and yeet anyone who gets too out of hand back to their homeworld, so play nice! (or relatively nice. )

[OOC: Welcome to your epilogue! The timeloop is ended, the evil has been defeated, and you have some time to catch your breath in the castle before the rest of your life begins! ]

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[simulacres]

[ ayaka gasps as richard picks her up, clinging onto him just a little tighter as the armor allows. though as she's set down she still stays close to him, looking up as she thinks of the play. ]

Oh it... wasn't that big of a deal. [ she's trying to play it off as chill as possible, because really if she thinks too hard about the idea of richard seeing her perform she might just die of embarrassment. ] We kind of mashed a bunch of fairy tales together... really it wasn't that great.

I was uh... Rapunzel? And I got married to Cain who was playing the prince. And then for some reason we chose to have the Snow Queen and the Sorceress marry as well... and then for some reason Sousuke was playing an arms dealer? And then Hwylryn was a tiger... honestly, the only one with a normal role was Urianger as the narrator.

[ocenon]

Sounds like quite the show. [ He's really kinda miffed that he wouldn't be able to see it – he's really interested in knowing how Sousuke ended up fitting into that narrative with any sense of coherency.

But, also, he knows that she probably would die of embarrassment, so maybe it's for the best. maybe he'll make a deal with ish to get a DVD of it or something. ]

But it worked, didn't it? Clearly Norna enjoyed something about it, otherwise we'd presumably be in the void by now.

[simulacres]

Well... she wanted a happy ending, and she was kind of an airhead... so yeah, she really liked it. I don't think she was even paying attention to you guys at all.

[ which probably says a lot.

ayaka looks around at the rest of the castle, and then back at richard. perhaps due to being emboldened by the play, she'll take his hand in hers. ]

What do you want to do now?

[ocenon]

[ He seems to visibly deflate at that, getting a somewhat far-off look in his eye. He kind of mumbles: ] Is that right...

[ Like. It was a good time at the end of the day, but it would've been nice if it wasn't spinning their wheels somewhat.

He's more than happy to take her hand, squeezing it gently since who knows how comfortable it'd for anything else to get done. ]

Do you want to stay a little longer? Or should we... perhaps start heading back?

[ They do have to get back to Snowfield eventually, of course, but... ]

[simulacres]

Time is stopped outside, right?

[ they do have to get going, but if richard isn’t in a hurry, then… ]

We can stay. I don’t know if we’ll ever see a castle as pretty as this one again, anyways.

[ might as well enjoy their time before they have to go back to fighting for their lives. ]

[ocenon]

[ He nods. ]

Ish said as much when I asked, that night. [ when he killed Shiv. ] It doesn't seem like there's an indication to the contrary.

[ Richard's gaze picks up and to the side, eyeing something unseen with a nod, before returning back to her. ]

Do you want to take a walk around? It seems everyone's taken mostly to the outside.

[simulacres]

[ ayaka tries to follow richard's gaze, but when she doesn't see anything she turns back towards him, studying for a second. ]

Yeah, sure. Lead the way.

[ she's not picky! ]

[ocenon]

[ He smiles, gently squeezing her hand again as they head back into the château. Richard seems content with meandering back through the halls, but as he looks at her, he's got something of a glint of something in his eye. ]

After all this time without your magical energy, I'd almost forgotten what it was like with Loxley and the others around.

[ would've been real helpful with with siffrin, honestly. ]

[simulacres]

It feels weird to me, too. It's like I just drank a whole cup of coffee in one go.

[ though she had never felt dependent on her magical energy and didn't really notice the difference without it, now that it's back, the energy feels like a low hum in her body. there is a slight hesitation, with everything about herself revealed, but...

she trusts richard. no matter what she is and what she does, she trusts that he'll be alright.

that said, she sure is eyeing him suspiciously when he looks back at her. ]

Did you forget something?

[ocenon]

You're not feeling any other adverse effects, are you?

[ He can tell the answer, but he's clearly avoiding her question, as they find their way upstairs eventually. ]

[simulacres]

Be a little less obvious when you're avoiding the subject. I'm fine.

[ and yet she lets herself get strung along as she always does, climbing up the stairs to the second floor. ]

[ocenon]

Ah, your perception skills continue to amaze me, Ayaka. They might even be more keen than my own!

[ He grins, more than happy to tease her a little bit more. Clearly she doesn't mind all that much (at least hopes), since she's still letting him lead her upstairs.

But he's usually the one dragging her around, so maybe he really doesn't mind that much either way, so long as they're together.

It doesn't take long before they enter the ballroom. From here, he starts to slow their walking, eventually coming to a stop somewhere in the middle of the room. He lets go of her hand. ]

Forgive me for the mystery, but I think it might be better if I show you this now than later. [ He pauses, the moves his cape out of the way to fish in whatever passes for a "pocket" for him, eventually pulling out a familiar-looking tarot card. ]

[simulacres]

[ she huffs as saber teases her further, her face warm as she faces his grin.

but they walk into the ballroom, and ayaka feels somewhat small in comparison to the grandoise room and the king she’s with. ]

Eh, what do you…

[ ayaka’s question dies as she watches richard pull out the card from his person, staring at it in disbelief. in its stead, a new question forms, which she asks in a small voice. ]

Huh? Why do you have that? Wasn’t that for what we just got out of?

[ like the card that lili had? it’s pretty, sure, but why go through all of this to show it to her? ]

[ocenon]

[ He shakes his head, continuing on like what he has isn't a big deal. ]

Despite my original intention, not quite. The Witch was particular about it not having any effect until we returned back to Snowfield. [ ... ] Well, that is, until you returned.

[ He was pretty confident that he wouldn't be leaving here, but. It clearly didn't work out that way. Fate seemed to have other plans, despite his best efforts.

He holds it out for her, for her to take. ]

This is yours.

[simulacres]

[ in the back of her head, she had always wondered what saber had wished for after siobhan's murder. it had taken saber so long to come up with a wish for the grail, that she couldn't imagine him being able to come up with something significant here...and she figured that his pride wouldn't allow him to wish for the same thing he was planning to wish to the grail.

but it never came up, and she never knew a good way to ask. eventually, she simply figured that maybe he had rejected ish's offer all together.

but now, seeing the tarot card in his hands, offered to her, she can only stare at it in wide-eyed shock, her words failing her. she approaches saber, taking the card with both hands, as if it were the most precious thing in the world. she stares up at saber, her breath caught in her chest. ]

Why?

[ 'why now?', 'why me?' ]

[ocenon]

[ She really does have him figured out, doesn't he? It's not unlike when he was first deliberating over what he wanted to wish on the Grail – just like then, nothing had seemed worth stepping over Siobhan's barely cold body just so he could grab it with extreme ease. And while the thought of simply carrying that wish of his over here did cross his mind for the briefest of flashes, Richard knew that it wasn't the right thing – the little effort it took to simply earn it was not worthy of such a wish like that.

But, if he didn't have a choice but to wish for something... what else could he have possibly gone with? Ensuring her safety during their time here was another impossibility set by Ish, so it could only leave him with one thing. Everyone and their mother could've guessed what it would be, but that's fine with him.

He doesn't say any of this, though. Again, he avoids answering he question, looking down at the card in both of her hands. ]

Per his enchantment, it'll keep you safe from a mortal blow, but only if you have it on your person. [ ... ] Maybe I should ask for a slight adjustment, just so it can just take care of itself...

[simulacres]

Saber…

[ her eyes widen slightly again when she hears what the wish was for, genuine shock written across her face. as obvious as it might have been to everyone else, it sounds like she would have been the last to figure it out. never in a million years would she have imagined that he would have spent his reward on something that would benefit her.

she feels… overwhelmed. she looks around, hoping that no one else is watching this, and then back up at saber. ]

You don’t… you don’t have to do any of that, Saber. I’ll take care of it, I promise. Even if I have to buy a new wallet for it or something.

[ she laughs, trying to play it off as something casual… but she can’t. it’s impossible to not be impacted by the weight of this gift. of course, her kneejerk reaction is to want to reject it— she wants to say that she’s not deserving of this and that saber should take it back, but…

fighting against those instincts, she pockets the card and, mustering all her courage, she looks up to richard with a warm smile on her face. ]

Thank you… even if you didn’t answer my question.

[ocenon]

[ As Ayaka says his name, he picks his head up, watching her intently. Momentarily, his eyes flicker in the same directions where she's looking, getting the clearance from Pierre and the others that no one's in the vicinity.

When she thanks him, he seems to visibly relax, releasing what last bit of tension he seemed to have coiled up in him for the last two weeks. He knew holding onto it so close to his chest like this was a risk, but given how things had played out... ]

I'm relieved. I was almost expecting you to admonish me for making such a choice on your behalf. Or, at the very least, keeping you out of the loop for so long.

[ When Clover and Vanis showed theirs, he got a little concerned about what they actually might mean. But Ish seemed to be more straight forward than Richard seemed to be giving him credit for. ]

[simulacres]

I should be angry at you for that. Annoyed, at least. I bet you didn't even think about what would happen to this if you ended up dying.

[ she nods, her eyes narrowing as she seems to still be genuinely thinking about how to react to all of this. she does wish that she had been told earlier, but she's not sure if richard could have had a good way to tell her. not only had her emotions been all over the place since siobhan's murder, but there was never the certainty that either of them would survive, let alone that they would be successfully brought back.

but after a moment of consideration, she shrugs her shoulders and reaches to take his hand, doing her best to maintain a neutral expression. ]

But I guess I'm in a good mood. [ she shares his relief and happiness, and the small voice in the back of her head that says she doesn't deserve this has been muffled into silence. ] And if you were this worried all this time, then I think that's good enough of a punishment.

[ she breathes out a sigh through her nose, lightly squeezing his gloved hand. ]

Again... thanks.

[ocenon]

To be fair, I did have a contingency plan. It was simply fortunate that I never actually needed it.

[ ... but also, it wasn't much of one. A written note left with his things (and used healing items full of water) isn't exactly airtight, but at least in Primrose it had a better chance of going where it needed to be.

He's more than happy to take her hand again, as he nods in reply. ]

I shall not forget your benevolence, Ayaka. [ he's laying it on a little thick, but the appreciation is as genuine as can be. ] I'll take the punishment you dole out, without question.

[ He returns the squeeze, before he adjusts his grip on her hand so he can raise it up higher so he can press a chaste kiss to the back of her hand, avoiding the Command Seals as best as he can. ]

It's my pleasure, Ayaka.

[simulacres]

[ oh.

this was… exactly what was missing during that play. saber’s insufferable charisma mixed with his knightly personality. as she watches him press a kiss on her knuckles, ayaka feels her face grow warm and her heart accelerate in her chest.

whatever aloof persona she was trying to play dissipates into the air and she has to lower her head from the initial embarrassment. ]

You’re… so embarrassing sometimes. [ and yet she feels… elated. like a girl with her prince charming. or, well, king, in this case.

she takes a step closer to him, cheeks flushed. ]

Any punishment, you said? Then… tell your retinue to leave for a minute and come closer.

[ she refuses to be the only one getting flustered here. ]

[ocenon]

[



The mischievous smile that had bloomed against her hand stills, somewhat, as a cold sweat breaks out on his brow. He's no qualms about doing what she's asked – he's happy to do so, whatever it is, but this punishment...

Refusing to let go of her, Richard stands straight again, looking past Ayaka, then towards the way out of the ballroom. After a second, he coughs, slowly turning back to her. ]

...They're taking a walk around the manor. [ he pauses, before tentatively shifting even closer to her, fidgeting slightly under the intense scrutiny. ] Is that long enough?

[simulacres]

[ she takes his word on it that they're gone, her eyes not leaving his. it's always surprising to see him flustered, but this time at least she can enjoy it despite her own embarrassment. this isn't like her and she knows it, but it's less daunting to fumble blindly if she has someone doing the same.

she takes a deep breath, and smiles up at him. unsure and nervous, but all genuine. ]

Yeah. That'll be way more than enough.

[ in reality, she doesn't even need a minute; a couple of seconds at most. because it really doesn't take much time for her to stand up on the tips of her toes to close the distance between them with a quick kiss to the lips. as far as displays of affection goes, this is probably nothing to write home about--perhaps only slightly less chaste than the one that richard had just given her.

and yet for someone like her, who had never sought affection or companionship from others, this was far more than she ever thought she would accomplish. ]

[ocenon]

Ayaka – ?

[ Whatever question Richard was about to ask more or less dies on the spot the instant she leans up and kisses him. To be fair, most coherent though sort of goes out the window, the spark he feels at the content more or less short-circuiting his brain.

...
......

........ .. ..

His free hand shoots up to cover his face and turns away slightly, trying to mask the fact he's turned practically as red as his cape. His stomach's doing flips, both light as air but heavy as a stone all at the same time. He knows what the right thing is to do, here, but this... ]

Such a punishment is... from you...

[ Give him a second, Ayaka. He'll get it together (x to doubt). ]

[simulacres]

Saber?!

[ ayaka blinks at the reaction, not having expected something of that level. was he really not expecting this? or maybe he didn’t like it? no, even as he hides his face, he’s still very obviously red as a beet.

well, not that ayaka’s much better. she stands there speechless, watching her servant stutter, with her own face red from the embarrassment of what she just did, coupled with the reaction. she looks around again to make sure no one is there to see the two of them before she starts blabbing her string of pointless apologies. ]

I-I’m sorry! I’m not sure what got over me, I misread the room and…um… uhhh… it’s fine! We can just forget that happened! We don’t have to mention it ever again!

[ aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ]