FOR THEY CANNOT DIE ANYMORE, BECAUSE THEY ARE EQUAL TO ANGELS.

[cccorp]

Today, the canals of Mac Anu flow as gentle as they always do, gondolas drifting lazy through the paths of sunlight cut bright across the water. Shops and vendors line the stonework streets along the waterways, a general murmur of NPCs circulating through their preprogrammed business keeping Mac Anu, as always, feeling maybe a little more alive than a real city.

There is one particular bridge that nearly every player's taken at least once, because it connects to a great many other places of interest, and it's wide enough for easy travel. Besides, with the professions update, they've put a fishing spot on the other side of it. NPCs with fishing rods litter the spot in alternating shifts, their laughter mingling with the calls of shopkeeps advertising cheap prices for some simple plants to get started crafting with, and the clink of forks and plates at a restaurant nearby, its customers singing the chef praises.

Below the bridge, a gondolier passes, humming, his gondola drifting along its circuit through the canals, his tune in rhythm with the passing conversation. As he comes out from under it and sails further away, he glances up at the bridge, as if he were expecting something, and he seems to see it. His gaze remains fixed there until, eventually, the water takes him out of sight again.

Today, you might notice that at the base of this bridge, just before your feet, is a red sort of smear.

A little further down the bridge, about a fourth of the way along it, is a person collapsed on the ground. The red trails to him, fallen forward.

You see upon approaching his hand grasping at his throat at the singularly cut sliced deep into his neck. His one good eye wide and unblinking, he is—among all the laughter and conversation on either side of the bridge; in the shadow of the clock tower, which stands a silent witness, the sun at its back—no longer breathing, his body cool to the touch.

Perhaps this could be considered a kindness: for one who failed, time and time and again, to grasp the desire to live, maybe he found some suggestion of it in his last moments, his hand at his throat, his palm smeared with dried blood, a curious anomaly in the deathless Mac Anu. Fragment had, after all, taught him a great many things. Should he not be grateful for one more, no matter how permanent the lesson?

Mithrun is dead.

Comments

[insinning]

...no.

[He scans their surroundings, his brow furrowing. Squeezing Tylor's hand in turn.
Wasn't Tylor wearing a school uniform?

That made sense.]

I'm not scared of it. But I don't like seeing it. This armor...my previous one wasn't like this.

[tylorific]

Oh, I see.

[ a beat-- ] What if you reequip it? Whenever I spill stuff, that cleans it up.

[insinning]

...do you remember what Uta said? About these armors?

[He's so tired already. It would be simply smarter to just unequip it and return it to the old one, even if it was too low level]

It's meant to remind me of everything I do. It wont go away, no matter what.

[tylorific]

[ Tylor nods at the question, quietly letting him go on. He did remember, though it had never stopped him from wearing his. Tylor hasn't even noticed how much more endearing he is while wearing it. And his concerned smile is only making it worse. ]

Hey, I'm tanky enough, so you don't have to wear it now if you don't want to. It's alright.

Besides, the dungeon is almost over.

[insinning]

[It bothers him so much. Tylor's. His own. He glances down at his hand and shakes his head]

...no. It's alright. For a little longer.

[Until that whistling stops piercing his heart]

[tylorific]

If you say so.

[ He says it casually, like nothing is abnormal.

But he quietly steps ahead and spins on his heel, keeping their hands attached. It's a slow movement, easily avoided, but Tylor tries to pull Vogel, blood and all, by that into a hug in the dark. ]

I don't know what's wrong and you don't have to tell me. Wear it if you like. But you don't need to.

[insinning]

[Sinclair goes very still. Ah. He had thought he had been strong enough. That Tylor wouldn't notice. But he's never been any good at pretending. He leans into the hug anyway, nodding tiredly against Tylor's chest.

How could he say that this was some sort of twisted remembrance of his pact with Mithrun? That, he needed to remember so he wouldn't forget, and let everything slip through his fingers]

...I'm okay. I'm okay. I just want to carry it for a bit longer. To prove something to myself.

[That Kromer wont haunt him anymore, that Kromer can't drive him mad, haunt his every waking moment. He's quiet for a moment and then...]

You said you didn't like yours either. Why are you wearing it then?

[tylorific]

[ Tylor will hold him as long as he gets away with it, at least until the Shadow wings have finished shifting quietly into a strategic position. ]

Then I support you, Chef. And well, this uniform has the best stats. The weapons aren't so bad either.

[ He laughs a little, trailing off-- ]

But even here I guess they never have one in my size.

[insinning]

...it's a school uniform isn't it?

[Sinclair isn't as familiar with that style, but. Mumbling against Tylor's clothes]

Uniforms always sucked.

[Just like Tylor said - this armor set had the best stats. So. He'll use it, until he can make his own]

[tylorific]

Yeah, it is.

[ A laugh, or the gentle rumble of one that Vogel might feel, at the rest. ]

I agree. Well, I always thought the girl's uniforms were pre-tty cute though.

[insinning]

[Sinclair smiles against Tylor's chest, a soft tired laugh of his own]

Is that so? [Pausing. Hmmm. Wasn't Tylor the one who liked the maid outfits?] Maybe it would have suited you better.

[Is that teasing? He's trying. He wants Tylor to--be distracted. For a little longer. Give him purpose]

when you forget to hit send before passing out 😔

[tylorific]

Mmhm

[ He joins Vogel in the pause acter that; in the comfortable, companionable warmth between them. No demands or expectations.

The attempt at teasing gets him to laugh all over again. He sounds like himself, on any other normal day-- ]

Oh no, I could never compete with the pretty girls in class.

[insinning]

[ It's calming. Sinclair hadn't expected it to be calming. He holds Tylor for as long as they're allowed to have a moment of reprieve, even as the Dark Horses move into place. His pole arm is ready and he can steel his heart for a little longer.]

You could have, if you wanted to.

[ Mumbling that. Then he's pulling back and swinging his pole arm down over a dark horse's neck as it lunges in from the side. Bad horse. They were having a moment here.]

[tylorific]

[ There are more jokes he could make.

On any other day with almost any other person, he would have.

But not today, and not with Vogel. So Tylor's response is soft, like the hand that reaches to pat Vogel's (bloody???) hair ]

Thanks. You're a nice guy, Chef.

[ But his hold is, as always, easily broken by those in it. Especially in a dangerous place like a dungeon.

Down goes a dark horse, phantom wings channeling a wind attack from afar. But they've time. Slivers of it before they have to fight in earnest. ]

Ohh, nice job! I didn't even hear that one coming.

[insinning]

[ He lets Tylor ruffle his hair - despite the blood, it's still very soft and fluffy - but there are things they need to do first]

I've gotten used to their patterns, I think. They're the type to ambush.

[Sinclair can tank it. He can tank a lot of things. Tylor doesn't need to carry all on his own. His polearm goes swinging again into a triple wield - and that damn whistle.

But Mithrun isn't here to hold him back and Oria isn't here to remind him how to keep his feet grounded. So he'll have to fight through this on his own. For Tylor's sake, if not his own.]

[tylorific]

[ Tylor, oblivious to the seriousness of what Vogel is working through but no less sincere, attempts to tug him one last time in the lull between attacks. To get him to look at Tylor. With his big dumb smile, warm as it is, he's fully distracted. ]

And hey, you're strong enough. I bet you can carry it.

[ But the phantom wings are long range and Tylor playfully shoves Vogel away from the wind that whips towards them. He'll step back in time too.

And for this last fight, he switches to his special level 25 set, inky black armor with pin pricks like stars that glow brightly in the dark. It makes it easier to spot just how many flying creatures had positioned themselves around the two of them. ]

[insinning]

[He glances up, distracted--ah.

And then they're fighting again, an odd dance against razor winds as he swings around with his polearm, sharp and deadly. It's easier to see now, and Sinclair goes in with a Piercing Heaven to knock one Dark Horse into the roof.

They'll be done soon]

[tylorific]

[ Tylor's gotten used to this, on so many runs. So many he took just for naps or test something out. Which means anyone that never saw the number of dungeons where he fell or joked about the sentience of the monsters they fight --or let the swarms attack him because he didn't know what his other skills did, might see someone who at least knows how to play the game by the seat of their starry armor pants.

He can hold his own, though he noticeably takes more damage in this armor than his last. He still does enough damage that given time, he will win by default in the end. What makes up for it especially is that he has level 50 thunder element attacks. Not to mention that he is also a thunder element adept rogue fighting dark element monsters. There was no being defeated here.

If Vogel's side isn't clear by then (since Tylor probably does more damage??) he'll turn to join him with a pause and a questioning look that follows Vogel a moment. It asks whether Vogel wants to carry this last small burden alone or not. ]

[insinning]

[Sinclair finishes shortly after Tylor - Tylor had more output in power and attack, but eventually, Sinclair catches up. He nods at Tylor, smiling uncertainly]

Thanks.

[For letting him carry the burden too]

[tylorific]

Oh, sure. But I knew you could do it.

[ This time it is a playfully pat on the bloody shoulder. There is only brief surprise, like he forgot the stuff was there, before his smile is back.

And then comes the alert that they've cleared the dungeon. He beams down at Vogel, free hand up for a high five. It will linger a beat, at least until the goblin shows up and distracts him soon after. He looks at it, slightly squinting like he can sense the bad vibes from here. ]

Huh, have you ever seen that one before?

[insinning]

No, I haven't. This is--

[He stops, and that's enough for the goblin because--

"INITIATE STANDARD GREETING. APPLY "BUFF": 2904JOIJROI390JRJOI. FAREWELL."

That's.

Not normal. He begins to shiver all over again]

...a glitch.

[They're removed from the dungeon soon after, before Sinclair can reach for his pole arm and take back]

[tylorific]

Alright! We found one!

[ But he says it so loud and happy that he winces at the pain in his head after, looking over just in time to notice Vogel shivering. And then he shivers.

Oh no. ]

Aw man, why'd we have to get one like that?

[ Like it's the hardest thing he's ever forced himself to do (it's not)-- ] Ready to try again?

[insinning]

Ugh...I think we need to document it first. Send a glitch report in, but...

[He's checking the time. Oh. He...he needs to do something very important]

...let's get some rest. We'll see if anything else results in the same thing.

[His head hurts so much he can barely think]

We'll try other keywords.

[tylorific]

Sure, that's a good idea.

[ He slumps over more, hands kneading his poor head. ]

I'm ready. When, you are.

[insinning]

...get some rest, okay?

[His voice catches on the words, but he has to press on. He reaches up and touches Tylor's hands]

...we can't convince Mithrun to look after himself when we can't do that for ourselves.