Endgame || Apocalypse

[melodiesmods]

Characters: Anyone
Where: Pandaemonium
When: March 05th
Summary: The first phase of endgame begins! The Heroes of Light are on their way to deal with Garland as they’ve left their unfinished businesses in the hands of their friends amongst the NPCs. How will it end? The mingle threads shall not be modded, only The Guardian will be modded. Please do not start individual threads for The Guardian, reply in a single thread. Starting from now on, the game is officially in endgame. Please do not post any new posts on Mognet or in the Log Community, unless they’re backdated to before this event. The second phase of endgame will be posted once The Killer Of World thread will have been unlocked and completed.
Warning: ̩̼͋ͬͅ.̷̳̗ͦͣ͐ͭͣͬ̈́ ̤̙ͫ̉.̨̯͖̗͓̥̭̣̂̄ͣ̏ͯͫ ̶̼̻̳ͫͧͥ̆.̭͎ͮ͂ ̳̤͓̖̫͌ͪͥ̄͗̐̌.͚͍̀ ͈̻̠̥̜ͦͦ̆ͨ͋.̼̹̹̠̟͚͎ ͙͇̲̘͖̉̌̒͂̈ͮ.͇͙͑̍̽ ̪̭̹̤͓̯̜ͦͣ̒̾͆͗ͦ͟.̝̯̲͗͊̽ ̛̙͌̈ͤ̚.̪̮̰̘͚̏ͦͤ ̲̼̺͓̣̝̐.͗ͨ͜ ̧́̑̄ͥ.ͬ͊̋ͣ ̝̠͍̭̯̽.́ ̊̽̈.̡̥̖̣͓̬̠̰͗͑͂ ͍̭̩̝̉͊̑̃̓ͤ̇.͆̔̀̈́̐̋ ͇̬̤̲͉̜͙̓̍ͦͯͤͥ̔.̯̻̺͔̰̞̙͋͡ ̻̼̣̮͖̮̋ͬ.̖̝̞ ͕̦̙̞̹̲̖̓̃.̌ͯͯ͟ ̺̘̪͊̊.̲͖ ̧̼̙̋ͦͧ̂́̑͑.̷̼̬̭͔͙̹̫ͦͧ̔̄͐̏ͫ ̱͎ͥͥ̈͝.̲̣͖̪͓̯ͩ̓̈̿ͧ̅́ ̪͈͚̺̦̝͎̒ͦ̇̚.̂̆ͯͦͩ̃̀̀ ̬͕̼̆.͎̃́͐̄͒̑ͪͅ ̠̳͎ͬ.̛̭͓͗͌ͪ ̴͉̱͉̘̯̟̔͐.̫̣̥̔͑͛́ ̝̭̤̜͖͎̙̈ͪ̿̓ͯ͂̚.̟̲̥̥͈̭̳̈̋ͥͦ ͔̩̈͋͐͗̚.͓̝̼͍̈ͧ͊ͅ ̥ͥ.̷̬͍͙ͥ̓͋ͅ ̪̯̠ͨ́̂.̱̙̘̫̰͕͈̎̓̊ ̧̻̃̎.̬̇̄ ̘̣̺̼ͯ͋̀.̯ͬ ̆͗͆̆̋͝.̴̞͖̫́ͬ͌̉̍̿ ̪̹̥͙̑ͅ.̵̻̮͓̉̃ͯ͑̊̈́̚ ͚̽̒̚͘.͇̮͇̻͍͈̠͂̓ͣ̀͡ ̩̠̖̋.̺͎͈̦̺̈́ͮͬ͌̋ͧͩ ̳̠͕͙̎ͩ͜.̛̆ͥ̒͑ ̘̠͓͚̱͗͜ͅ.̢̠̠̥͍̬̂̊͋͊̂̄̐ ̦͛.̰͚̫̱͙̩̅̓ ̲̜͌̒ͭ͑͠.̠̆̈̏͆̉ ̰̹̳̻̥̮̬ͨ̍̐̆͗ͫ͜.͕̥͔̳ͩ͞ ̣͓̥̑̍͊̽̄̀.̳̘̭ͭ̔̎̍͜ ̟̞̯̏.̙̯̦̞̱̘ͬ͐ͩ ̯̠̣͉̪̅̅ͣ́ͅ.̡͗̍̿͊͐͊ ̲̙́̽̽́.̝̟͇͈͚̿͝ ̑͜

Mingle Thread
The Guardian
The Killer Of Worlds

Comments

[worstintheworld]

[Of course she lets him, even if the gesture takes her by surprise. In moments, that surprise melts into warmth, and she works her fingers in between his to give his hand a squeeze of affection. It was comforting when they were children, and it's comforting now. But it's also something more, she realizes as those feelings of peace and security burn a little brighter inside of her.]

It's been a long time since I've seen you smile like that. I'm glad I could see it again.

[Her own expression has shed some of its melancholy as she looks at him. Natalia doesn't want to think of this as their last battle. There are risks to be sure, but her faith is still strong. Jade, Anise, and Tear are all here too. And this time there are so, so many others willing to stand together and fight. Losing shouldn't even be a possibility for them.]

Did you come here to watch the horizon? I'm afraid the lands infected by the Calamity don't see the sun anymore.

[stupidgenes]

[From his perspective, Asch knows he'd pushed Natalia away because he wasn't Luke fon Fabre any longer. Having cast aside his past, there was little point in reliving its memories when they had far more important things to deal with, like Van's stupid plan. But now, he finally understands that both he and the replica each had their part when it came to being Luke fon Fabre, the Scion of Lorelei. And at this point in time, Asch has also come to terms with it.

If they're each somehow returned to their worlds and respective points in time back home, then there's nothing but his own demise awaiting Asch. And he knows in what little time he has left where- and whenever Natalia's from, he doesn't really take the time out to confide in her or indulge her.

Now is all the time I have! Once, he'd yelled this in anger, challenging his replica to find out who should confront Van. But the sentiment still applies here—this is the only chance he has to give Natalia what he couldn't (and probably still won't give her) back on Auldrant.]

Not really. Looked like you came out here for a breather— [Pausing slightly, he turns to gaze at her before giving her hand a little squeeze in return.] —so I came to keep you company.

[There. It's only a small gesture, but at least it's something. Still, Asch can't help the feeling he should say more, before he no longer has the chance to do so.]

...And to say sorry for pushing you away all this time.

[worstintheworld]

That's very kind of you.

[Her expression arms as she glances at his face, though her gaze lingers a little longer than she originally intended. It's strange, to see those same features she grew up with as Luke, to see the similar shapes but not the same emotions. Now that she knows they exist as separate people, it's so easy for her to tell the two apart.]

[Then she allows her eyes to drift to their joined hands, and she indulges in a girlish little smile she doesn't usually let herself wear. It's the night before the biggest battle of their lives, and yet...she's happy right now. And she feels no guilt in harboring that simple and sweet emotion.]

Well. You really should have told me much sooner. I can keep a secret, you know.

[Her tone is teasing as she tilts her chin and grins at Asch. Then she shakes her head.]

But I know you had your reasons. You don't owe me an apology, or even an explanation. I really can't imagine what any of that was like for you. You must have felt so lonely, and abandoned.

[Her other hand rises to rest against her chest in a loose fist.]

If anything, it is I who owe you an apology, for failing to notice that you were suffering in the first place.

[stupidgenes]

Don't—

[His reply is slightly louder and comes too quickly after Natalia mentions his suffering, but only because Asch disagrees with that train of thought. His voice softens again as he continues.]

Don't apologize. We all had to focus on our duties at the time, which was to prevent further destruction of the Outer Lands.

[In the face of Van replicating and destroying the world, Asch's sufferings were only secondary.]

Besides, we can't change things that have already happened.

[Ugh, Asch hadn't meant to make things so grim. So he lifts their intertwined hands and, awkward as it might be, gently brushes his lips against her knuckles in a small, chaste kiss.]

We have to accept that and keep moving forward doing whatever we can.

[worstintheworld]

[Natalia's eyes jump much wider at his open display of intimate affection for her. She can scarcely believe her senses. A spot of warmth still tingles on her knuckles, and her heart thumps so fast and hard she could swear he must be able to hear it.]

Asch, you...?

[She can't finish the question. She's not even sure what she meant to ask. Natalia turns to face him directly now, watching the lantern lights of the ship cast a warm orange halo on his crimson tresses, reflected in his serious green eyes. Natalia had always suspected...hoped, really...that he remained as fond of her as she was fond of him. To see those defenses lowered now gives her hope, which slowly bleeds into reassurance.]

[Natalia smiles softly, taking half a step to close the distance between them. She lays her free hand upon his chest, then her cheek, surrendering to her need to be close to him.]

You're right. I know. And there's still so much left to do to save this world, and Auldrant itself.

[She lifts her head to smile up at him.]

We can do it together. We won't lose!

[stupidgenes]

[Honestly, opening up like this is a little more than terrifying, especially when Asch isn't all that certain of what he's doing. His heart seems to skip a beat when Natalia turns toward him and closes the distance between them. And then his heart races when she leans against him, prompting his other hand to wrap around and steady her.

But then she mentions Auldrant, and Asch can't help being distracted by what he knows and she doesn't. So when she smiles up at him, his head is tilted upward as he tries to school his expression. Then, he looks down at her with a somewhat somber smile.]

You're right. We won't lose!

[Even though he wound up here after dying, Natalia's conviction drives him to certainty—the replica and his group will defeat Van. Asch's sacrifice wasn't in vain.]

[worstintheworld]

[There. That's what she needed to hear, she realizes. His own conviction lends its strength to hers, and it fills her heart with a warmth and a confidence. Both of them have trained hard, in this world and theirs. There's simply no room for doubt, and no room for regrets. They'll see the battle to the end, finish it, and save their worlds.]

[Natalia smiles, her eyes searching his face as she finds the traces she remembers, and studies the sharper lines and angles that came with maturity. It's so familiar, and so new at the same time.]

Asch...thank you.

[On those rare occasions where she's faltered, he's given her the courage to keep moving forward. She opens her mouth, about to say something...but stops. No, words simply won't do anymore, she shakes her head with a rueful little grin. He's been open with her. Should she not be the same with him?]

[She lifts her chin, and finishes closing that scant distance between them as she touches her lips softly to his. Natalia lingers only for a moment, the kiss gentle and warm, before she lets her heels rest on the deck once more.]

[No regrets.]