The Woods, Saturday After Sunset

[endsthegame]

It had been quiet out in the woods for two full days.

All that time, the singular slab of rock tucked away in a small clearing had lain there, unremarkable and silent.

No longer.

It began to pulse with brilliant light anew as the sun set, whispering to the people it had brought onto the island. Calling. It was time, it was time, it was time.

Slowly, the clearing filled up with white fog again. A gateway back into the realm of the dead. Wherever theirs may be.

[[ open for anyone wishing to see their people off. ]]

Comments

[withmyboomstick.livejournal.com]

Ashley was acutely aware of how close Alenko was - close enough to touch her back, close enough to take her hand. He didn't; occasionally, his shoulder brushed up against hers, a brief reminder he was still there.

He stayed quiet.

It was weird. You'd almost think he was the dead guy leaving.

"So this is it," she said finally, pausing on the edge of the clearing.

[not_a_whiner]

"Yeah." Kaidan hadn't said anything because his throat felt like it had been glued together on the inside. Kind of like... having a really bad cold, mucus clogging up his pipes.

Maybe he was thinking too much.

"Yeah, uh." Had to say something. Something. "It's... kinda moody."

[withmyboomstick.livejournal.com]

"The fog's a nice touch," Ashley agreed. It was a fucking stupid thing to talk about, but it was so very Alenko, all gosh-people-are-dead-but-the-decor-looks-nice. "Look, let's cut the crap, okay? This might be the last time we talk."

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

Allie knew this miraculous visit had to come to an end, but she couldn't help slowing her pace just a little as she and her mother walked through the woods.

[bloodofmother.livejournal.com]

Tracy had her arm around Allie's shoulders, and was as reluctant as her daughter to let her go. "I wish this was the world you'd been born into. Instead of the one I gave you."

[allie-vamp.livejournal.com]

"It's enough that I'm here now," Allie said quietly. "To know there's something better."

[vanillajello]

Kate sucked at goodbyes. This was not news. But how were you supposed to even start saying your goodbyes to someone who shouldn't have been in the first place, and you felt like you weren't just saying your goodbyes but someone else's as well?

"So, this is it, huh?"

Stalling may have been a thing.

[eyelidkisses.livejournal.com]

"This is it, Katie," Lionel agreed, with a slight pout. It sucked – for her. He was fine with this. This was the arrangement. He'd gotten to say the things he'd wanted to. "Make your grand goodbyes or forever hold your peace."

[vanillajello]

Ugh, he sucked.

Kate stepped closer to him, and pulled him in for a hug. And to talk so no one else would hear. "I miss you."

[harpy-mother.livejournal.com]

Titian moved through the woods silently, her hand trailing behind her as she ran her fingers over some of the trees, memorizing the feel of bark against her skin.

It had been a very long time indeed since she'd been able to walk among trees like this.

[harpy-daughter.livejournal.com]

In contrast, Surreal's footsteps were almost thunderous in comparison. She was hardly loud, having been trained since birth for stealth, but her territory was cities and streets, not the sheer amount of green that seemed to be calling her mother.

"Where are we going?"

[harpy-mother.livejournal.com]

The sound of Surreal's voice seemed to snap Titian out of her mood, and she turned her eyes on her daughter. "I have to go, sweetheart," she said, her voice (heart) breaking. "Being able to walk in the sun like this... it's not where I belong anymore."

"I only came because you needed me so much, and because I needed to see you with my own eyes, to know that you were still alive and whole and so much more beautiful than I ever dreamed you would grow up to become."

[glacial_queen]

This weekend had been hard for Karla. Harder still even than their last. And now that it was time for her parents to go, Karla was torn between being relieved and--

No, actually. She was just relieved. And feeling guilty about it.

Not that she wanted them to be dead. If they somehow managed to find a way to be alive, to take this burden from off her shoulders, she would be nothing but happy. But they couldn't and that burden was hers to keep.

Cheerful thoughts, to escort her parents back to death.

[glacial-family.livejournal.com]

"Karla," her mother said gently, interrupting bleak thoughts. "We're here. It's time to go."

[glacial_queen]

And, just like that, the relief vanished leaving the pain of loss and grief behind. "No," she choked out. "You can't. I'm not ready yet. Please, just a bit longer? There's still so much I want to tell you. So much to learn from you."

[icecoldfrost]

There weren't any tears or anger or threats as the two Frosts walked into the fog, arm-in-arm. Christian laughing uproariously, Emma rolling her eyes at his jokes.

They could almost see the shape of the stone in the trees before they came to a stop. "I have one question," Emma said mildly as she reached over to adjust his collar. "Why didn't you come last time?"

[frater-glacies.livejournal.com]

"You weren't ready to see me yet," was his answer, and Christian let her fix his tie. "I'm still not sure this was my best idea ever, but I missed you and I think you needed to hear that this...none of this was your fault, Ems."

[spiderbirther.livejournal.com]

Otto made his way into the fog without any additional farewells and no visitors.

But he did it his way. He swung by the junkyard on his way and picked up some new octopus arms so he could strut back into death in his style with his head held high.

[putsfishiesback.livejournal.com]

The magic that had called him here and was now calling him back, didn't really allow Gareth to drag his feet, but he hesitated as he and Cara walked towards the clearing, tentatively placing his hand on her shoulder. "Cara. I need to tell you something."

[wrongkindofsith]

Right, here it came, what Cara had been waiting for since Thursday. Though somehow the words came this time. "Please don't hate me," she managed in a small voice.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Well. It was that time.

Triela smiled slightly, thinking over everyone she'd caught up with.

They were fine without her. It was really good to know that. Not that she'd doubted it, really, but confirmation was always nice.

So they'd be fine without her once again.

Time to go.

[blondecanary.livejournal.com]

They'd had fun; ice cream, sparring, yammering about things, and Dinah had managed to push aside the thought that it was only one day for most of it, but now....

"It's not fair. Damnit."

[heromaniac]

Momoko was totally fine with this, really.

"I don't want to go back to just talking to your memorial tablet."

Okay, maybe not fine.

"But you'd better be listening when I do, this time. So you don't fall behind."

[trigons_child]

Raven really wasn't sure what to say. "Take care" and "see you soon" were right out.

"I wish we had more time," she finally said.

[glacial_queen]

Karla was a wreck after seeing her parents off. She'd only just managed to let go of Warren long enough to wrap her arms around Triela. "I l-l-love you," she said again, trying to stop the tears that just kept coming. "I miss you. Good-bye."

That was pretty much all she was capable of saying right now.