[ EVENT: So long and thank you for all the fish ]

[soul_mods]

Characters: Everyone in Death City
Location: Death City
Rating: G
Time: October 8th and onwards
Description: It's time to say goodbye



A day after Medusa's defeat, Shibusen makes an announcement on the network: BREW is acting up again but instead of bringing new people in, it has created a portal.

It's in the Kishin Chamber, available to anyone who wants to go through it. Anyone who looks into it will see the place they came from, frozen in time. The moment you step through everything resumes and, maybe you'll forget or maybe you won't. Either way, there's no need to hurry right now. Shibusen assures all of you they will keep a sharp eye on BREW's energy readings and tell you the moment anything changes. For now, the portal is stable so take all the time you need to say goodbye and settle everything before you go.

Comments

[closed to Eve]

[starfruitfrog]

[This was it. The very last day.

Keroro had gone through most of the day on auto-pilot, going through his daily routine of morning training, breakfast with Eve, open the store, buy lunch for all the employees (today's had been fresh croissants stuffed with ham and cheese, fruit salad and a cake with strawberries as a farewell) and now...this was really it.

He couldn't leave the closing up of the shop for the day to anyone else, so he'd asked for them all to leave early. He and Eve would close up. Amidst wet eyes and tears, he'd told them cheerfully, one last time, that he left the shop to them. Take care of it. (OR ELSE)

Looking over the shop, at all the memories he had associated with it, he props the mop gentle against the cash register.]

Eve-dono. Do you remember...when we first opened the shop, de arimasu?

[nolicenseyet]

[At some point Eve had decided to move Da Vinci to the store, taking his bed and all his belongings and setting them up in the backroom. He will be their mascot.

The workers had promised they'd take care of him after she left. These people were different from Saya or Hughes or Yuichi or any of them because Death City was and always will be their home.

Eve misses them alread.

She's just about finished wiping the glass on the display case when Keroro asks that question.]

...yes.

[She hadn't even known how to run a store back then. She only decided to run it because Keroro wanted to.]

[starfruitfrog]

I had only wanted to run it, because I wanted a never-ending supply of gunpla, de arimasu.

[He chuckles a bit at that, his eyes fond as he looks at everything around them.]

But there are so many memories here. Itou-dono, Hughes-dono, Saya-dono....

She used to sit here and read manga. Itou-dono would make tea, and Hughes-dono would smile and taste-test them for us.

Remember when that guy came in and stubbed out his cigarette on the floor, de arimasu? You can't even really see the burn mark anymore, de arimasu.

[He's not sure what he's trying to get at here anymore.]

[Open]

[recitings]

[Genesis was absolutely certain he wasn't going in through that portal, but he was certain that people he knew were going to make the choice to go back home. So he waits to see them off. It's the least he can do, after all.

His two dogs, Apple and Mei, are with him, too.]

[nolicenseyet]

[Her eyes follow every spot he talks about easily because she knew those places and the people who spent their time there so clearly that she can almost imagine them.

Saya getting into a fight with Keroro...Itou correcting the way she held a brush and formed her characters...and Hughes who always seemed to be smiling and laughing.]

There's Yamazaki, too. [She tilts her head and smiles a little.] He turned out okay, right? I thought he wasn't going to be able to do anything. And Yuichi. I really liked the food he made.

[Her hand drops to her side and she stares at the display case for a moment, remembering the time she set up the display for the Chara Misfortune Keychains.]

Remember when everyone was here for the Chara Misfortune Keychain?

[blue_wayfinder]

[Lassie follows at Aqua' heel as usual, there is little enough for her to settle in Death City. But Lassie is definitely one of those problems. After all, she can't just take her back with her. Not where Aqua's going.

She brightens when she finds the person she's looking for.]

Sir.

[recitings]

Aqua.

[Genesis nods towards the young lady, taking note of the dog that follows at her heel.]

I take it that you'll be returning to where you came from?

[Open]

[pirateninja]

[Not being the friendliest pirate hunter, Morgan doesn’t have much reason to linger. After all, she’s been wanting to go back since the first day here so she can work on capturing Guybrush and claim her 30,000 pieces of silver from the Marquis de Singe. (If she knew what fate awaited her afterwards though, she might not have been in much of a hurry to go back.)]

[So, she’s moving purposefully through the city towards the Shibusen stairs. But if you’re quick, you might be able to catch her.]

[Open]

[loveanddreams]

[While Count D is looking forward to returning to the petshop and seeing all the animals again, he can’t resist visiting all his favorite bakeries in Death City one more time and purchasing enough sweets for quite a tea party. And of course, he’ll say goodbye to Miss Rosalia before he goes and leave his tea set with her—he believes she intended to stay.]

[Perhaps, you might find him walking through the streets with a stack of pastry boxes or in the park with everything spread out on a blanket and inviting whoever he knows that passes by to join him.]

[Open]

[vintage_magic]

[After all the battles and being bounced back and forth so many times between San Francisco and Death City, Lily almost never thought this day would come. Being told that she could finally return home for good. She and Lezard had been to Mongolia to help defeat the snake witch but the idea almost seemed strange now.]

[The thought that it was time to leave this city. Leave Yesterday’s Magic and return to Aunt Cora’s Closet. Leave the friends she had made. And most of all, leave him… Her partner. Her heart ached at the thought. She’d miss the others who were still here too but the thought of returning to her world without him, possibly not even remembering him…]

[She tried to tell herself she didn’t have to leave just yet. She should say goodbye to the folks who were still here. She also had to find someone local who’d want to take over the shop. That would take some time, possibly weeks. Maybe, she could stay until his birthday at least. But realistically, she knew she had to go back. Miriam still needed to be saved back home.]

[She walked through the city, trying to gather her thoughts, but the place seemed teeming with memories now. Days at the shop with Kanji, Josuke, Karina and Yuugi. Walking upstairs to visit Eve at the cafe. Passing by the Agency where Raidou and Alucard and Edgeworth worked.]

[The park held even more. The training field where she’d chatted with Rosalia, Naoto, plus many others who were no longer here. That flowerbed where Amaterasu always liked to nap. The place where Giroro and Keroro had left paint splotches on the grass. The spot where those folks had thrown rice at her and Lezard one night thanks to a rumor. Star-crossed lovers. She’d scoffed at the time but it was almost as if it had come true now, hadn’t it?]

[If you ran into her whether at the park, the shop, or just out in the streets, she would likely seem a bit distant, as if lost in a reverie.]

OTA

[sharingan]

[ the truth of it was hard to believe. they had finally tracked down the witch, the source of all of this chaos, and the initial wish that had brought them all here had finally been granted. it was a year ago, now, he thinks. Sasuke can't be sure— the number of times he has woken anew in Death City have skewed his concept of time.

when he first arrived, he'd been a little boy, seeking vengeance against a man who— at the time— hadn't even been present. now he was edging into the role of tutor himself, and the changes he had gone through were deep and unyielding.

Sasuke hasn't entered the building, though he's heard the rumors. it was typical, that they would agree to send them all back in the end. their plan to steal the machine and secure their future in the city had not been necessary— but could anyone truly blame them? fear was an enormous driving force.

he should have known better.

but what it meant was an entirely different story. Sasuke was staying— he'd decided this a long time ago. but he knew the same wasn't true for everyone else. there were some he knew would go home, given the chance.

just as, with this final happenstance, Sasuke knows others will not return.
Rei. Sohki. Edward. Mustang. China. Saralegui.
countless others that had walked in and out of his life within Death City (Seimei) and changed it irrevocably.

but it's here he lingers, the length of his spine pressed against one of the now familiar trees lining the street. from here, he can see almost the full length of the steps, can see the glistening shine of the building the houses the Kishin Chamber and BREW. his expression is impossible to discern, save for it's silence. ]

[Open]

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[Shinji had never really imagined the day finally coming where the guests would be given the option of returning home. Some part of him never imagined an end to the war, so the announcement coming through the network and the following trip toward Shibusen felt wholly surreal.

He doesn't feel that there are any goodbyes that need to be said (aside from the animals under his care - he'd only asked around long enough on the streets to find someone staying who was willing to take care of them in his stead), so his trip toward the academy is pretty straight forward. Even then, however, he takes his time, unable to fully detach himself from feelings of sadness at leaving the city he'd been living in for so long. He knows he has no place here anymore, if he ever did in the first place is questionable, but the thought of leaving everything that happened behind is painful. It always is.

Catching up to him should be fairly simple, for any interested parties.]

[Open!]

[holdmydumbbell]

[Being given the option of sticking around the place that had dragged him in from the brink of death, or going back to his 'home world' where he quite literally has no place in anymore? The choice is easy enough to make - returning to his own death sounded like possibly the stupidest idea Mondo could make. Still, he couldn't help but be curious about the people who had some place to return to.

After having found himself suddenly in charge of a young dog (plus a couple of cats I mean how could he say no?), courtesy of some young kid who needed a home for the pets, he can be found loitering around Shibusen with Firecracker, said dog, bonding with his new companion and maybe keeping an eye out for any familiar faces who look like they'll be on their way out of Death City. Can't have people leaving without some kind of closure, after all.]

[Open]

[hanyaaan]

[Goodbyes are always hard, though Sakura's been telling herself that it's less of a 'goodbye' to this world, and more of a 'righting where everyone belongs' sort of situation.After all, there were people who had been here for far, far longer than her who were probably itching to get back to the places they belonged! The idea that she may never see any of these people again is certainly a sad one,but there's always some possibility that it may happen, right? And, either way, she's sure that her heart will keep those memories safe, even if her mind lets them slip away upon returning.

But, there's no need to rush the return! If the moment she left is frozen in time, waiting for her to step back into it, she wants to put her focus on the place that's still bustling. People she's met before, and even strangers, may find themselves approached by the young girl through the day. She wants to say her goodbyes, and give out thanks to those who helped keep this city safe.]

Are you going to be returning home? [Will be asked of anyone she goes up to.]

[hanyaaan]

[Given the Count's very memorable appearance, it shouldn't be a surprise when Sakura recognizes him taking a stroll through the city with that impressive stack of pastry boxes. Is that an indication that he'll be staying? Or perhaps one last treat before he departs? Either way, she wants to talk to him at least once more before taking her own leave!]

Would you like a hand with those?

[Open]

[pishirogane]

[So, the time has come, hasn't it? After all this time, she fiddled with the ring around her neck. Fighting this war for so long, hearing people leave, knowing people died, she wondered if she would actually remember it. Perhaps her scars would remind her of this story and her promise to Kanji. Her hand clenched it harder; she really didn't want to forget.]

[Raising her head, she looked out at Death City again. Just outside the Kishin Chamber, there wasn't much of a view, but she shouldn't linger in this city for long. The job was done. She had already visited the graves and shrine, cleaned up her desk at the Agency... All that was really left were the pets. They couldn't go back, could they? Watson's pretty big; would anyone take him if they couldn't? And Poe, he could fly off if he wanted to.]

[While she stood in the shadows, thinking of what to do, someone approaching made her look up.]

[Open]

[motherofthesun]

[She took her time going to the portal, saying good by to pretty much everyone in every quarter of the city. Giving people goodbye hugs and kisses, receiving a few pets on her head and back, getting even a few tears in her fur. Death by Pastry, Deathbucks, Horrorspital, the General Hospital, so many places to go, and there's still one more place to go.]

[The park was where morning training had been held this whole time, where she took her naps in the flowerbeds, and fed the animals. In this goodbye, it was feeding the birds and the rabbits one last time, even stopping to snuggle with them again. So, someone might find her there in the park with birds on her back and bunnies burrowed in her belly and chest fur, her tail wagging the whole time as she licked on clean. If someone does approach, the animals don't run and Amaterasu grinned. Come to say goodbye as well?]

[motherofthesun]

[Don't mind her Lily. Ammy has been meaning to jump on you for a while now and give a few licks. Who was right? She was right! And probably caught the witch by surprise.]

[Open]

[bloodinbloom]

[Rosalia was not going to cry. Ever since she had been brought here, eventually, the war was going to end and BREW would be satisfied. Still, she knows lots of people who are going to leave and she's not going with them. Being dead in her world, going back meant being dead again. Here, she could still do something. And this time, she could become a doctor like her dad and brother properly. She was going to miss them too, but her brother had friends who would take care of him.]

[With some goodbye gifts tight in her hand, she rolls on her feet near the Kishin Chamber, holding her parasol over her head as usual. It's a nice day today; nice day to say goodbye and wish everyone farewell and take care of themselves and be happy.]

[sharingan]

[ it seemed he wasn't the only one lingering on the sidelines, though Sasuke was far less indecisive than many of the others he'd seen. though he and Naoto had never been what one would call friendly, he knew her face well enough. she had been here nearly as long as he had.

Sasuke wasn't approaching her, or rather, he hadn't intended to be— but when she looks him he draws to a stop either way, regarding her for a long moment. ]

Are you going?

[vintage_magic]

[Lily was in a bit of daze so she was certainly surprised. Down she went and it took a moment for her to register the wet thing against her check as a wolf's tongue. She would have to add laundry to her list of things to do but she didn't sound mad as she sat up and gave Amaterasu a rub behind the ears.]

I guess this is your way of saying goodbye, huh? I reckon you're looking forward to going back and seeing your son...

[She recalled the odd rat sharing the wolf's markings that had appeared the week many strange things happened in the city.]

[pishirogane]

[No, they weren't friends, but they were acquaintances working towards the same ends. Those ends are over here though... but she'll still nod to him when he asks.]

I may not be in a war at home, but I have a job to uphold and a promise to keep.

[motherofthesun]

[Her tail wags and she whines, leaning into Lily's hand as she scratches her ears. It's just a few paw prints and white furs, but nothing terrible. And yes, it is her way to say goodbye, she can't talk.]

[Tail still wagging, she grins at the mention of her son. It would be him... and thirteen others.]

[vintage_magic]

[Lily's going to guess she's right about Amaterasu wanting to see her son. Either that or she just really likes having her ears rubbed.]

I'll take that as a yes. Did you have something important to continue back home or can you just have a rest and visit with him?

[loveanddreams]

[D turns at the offer of assistance and smiles, recognizing the young girl from morning training.]

Ah, Miss Sakura. Thank you.

[He leans down so she can take the topmost box.]

Are you planning to return home soon? You're welcome to join me for tea if you're not in a hurry. I've grown fond of some of the sweets they sell in this city and it seemed a shame to leave without having them one last time.