randangonpa | ENDGAME/EPILOG

[In the control room, the raccoons float quietly in their pods; none of the wild cackling from before, no raucous mocking—Where did those pesky animatronics go, anyway? Maybe not every question has been answered, but...how much does it matter? The lost souls are back, tangible and whole, though marked still by whatever's done them in. Maybe those scars and aches won't fade, either.

A metric fuckton of experimenting has gotten us to the answer of how to get back to where we belong: the first control room console makes it easy to find the thumbnail of your world, and, when selected, it automatically brings you to twenty two days from moment you were kidnapped from. It's easy to see an image where you should be there and aren't, and simply select it. The program confirms that you'd like to initiate the transport process, and directs you to stand on the glowing platform; have someone hit the button to shut the process down, or it will time itself out in five minutes.

Is the moment you were brought from not good enough? What about the rewards you were promised? It seems as though specifying those offers or threads isn't quite possible, but the console has two options, each manipulable independently of each other: you can control the date and time, allowing yourself to return as though you hadn't been kidnapped at all. You can also use a slider at the bottom to control the quality of the universe you're brought back to, sliding from the carrot to the stick side: A world where everything that possibly could have gone right for you and those you'd want it for does, where every choice and chance resolves in your favor...or one where there isn't a single moment that isn't conspiring to work against you.

It should be that simple, but...none of those are your universes. Trying to go to any universe but the one marked for you, and/or at any point but that three-week span you've been gone, prompts a warning message about a duplicate version of anyone belonging to that world. It asks if you'd like to proceed, and warns you once more by giving names of potential "doppelgangers"—but will not stop you from stepping onto the platform as it twinkles blue light, regardless. Is improvement worth interfering, maybe destroying, the life of another you?

That choice is up to you. For the first time in a long time, these choices are yours.

It's over. Happy graduation day.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[That is true. Rin will never forget anyone here, but especially not Ichigo.]

Yeah. Besides, we're 'death power buddies'. If anyone can find a way to get to the others it'll be one of us, right?

[The others are only a maybe, but if he and Ichigo both focus on each other, maybe they can actually pull it off. And then they can work on finding the others from there.]

[He laughs a little, nodding.]

Absolutely. Though...It might take me a bit to figure something out - I'm pretty sure Soul Society and the living world are going to be in pretty rough shape for a while.

It's alright, we've got nothing but time.

Oh! But we should trade something, so we can find each other more easily.

-Ah! You're right. Hang on -

[He leaves, hurrying down the hallway. After a bit, he comes back - with a folded shinigami uniform in his arms, practically blending against the one he's wearing.]

Here. This is the only thing I could think of that'd have enough energy on it to trace, so...

[Rin takes the clothes from Ichigo.]

You sure you'll be okay without your whole uniform?

[A shrug as he hands over the uniform to Rin.]

'S fine - it shows up on me as soon as I leave my body, so I'm pretty sure giving you a 'spare' won't hurt anything. But it should have traces of my Reiatsu on it because of that.

[Okay, good point. But what does Rin have that's like that?

After thinking for a bit, he finally pulls a picture out of his wallet.]

This means a lot to me, so take good care of it, alright?

[It's proof of his friendship with the others, and proof that they survived the Impure King. Even if it's not specifically made for Rin, it's still important to him. That should be enough.]

[He takes the picture, careful not to damage it - and looks it over.

....Okay, This is an adorable picture of friendship, but he's gotta ask-]

...Are they spelling out the word 'Satan' in this?

[And he's maaaaaybe laughing a little, sorry Rin.]

[HE SEES THAT and he gets a little flustered.]

Yeah, they were. That's the first time they really teased me about it too. Before then, they were kinda scared of it.

So...I guess it's good, because they weren't scared anymore.

[These are the same friends from that 'bad end' video btw]

[No, he noticed. He definitely noticed they were, which gets him to give a little smile in return.]

If they can tease you about it, then they're definitely your friends.

[And with that - he reaches out to give Rin a brief hug.]

Stay safe, okay? Back home, I mean.

[Yes, there needs to be a hug here.]

You too, alright? I don't want you dying before I find you.

[SPEAKING OF DYING...Rin glances over to the tubes the raccoons are in.]

...we should probably bust them out and take them with us. Just to make sure they don't summon a bunch of raccoons and stop us from blowing this place up.

[Pauses mid-hug to turn his head and stare at Rin with his one good eye.]

...You actually want to break them out?

[MY DUDE....]

Everyone did want to kill them, but...they're probably victims of this whole thing too.

[SIGHS...]

...let me go get a sword from the weapons closet.

Yeah. Like, they're probably normal raccoons. They can't do anything really bad in their own bodies, yeah? I can take care of them too, it's no big deal.

[A souvenir from murder school!]

Fine, fine.

[He's off....and back in like a couple of minutes with another glittery broadsword.]

Stand back, okay? Glass is probably gonna go everywhere.

[He takes a breath - doublechecks his grip - and takes a swing, aiming for the tops of the tubes.

SMASH.]

[The glass smashes easily, and the fluid inside begins pouring out onto the floor. Still, the raccoons do not stir, laying limp and wet at the bottom of their tubes.]

Shit, are they dead?

[He's going to reach into the tube to poke at one of the raccoons.]

[It's warm, and moves slightly away from the touch, though it doesn't seem to be conscious.]

[Well ok. Let's just grab one out of the tube then?]

[The thing on its head pops off, and it begins to stir, moving its little paws groggily. Which one did you grab, incidentally?]

[Let's go with Tycoon.]

[His eyes open and he blinks up at Rin for a few seconds before turning his head and coughing up some of the fluid that he'd been submerged in.]

[Well aren't you precious.]

Look Ichigo, they're alive!

[he squeaks and sluggishly tries to twist out of Rin's grip]

[Aww, he thinks he can get away! Rin will just hug him now.]

It's okay, little guy. I'll take good care of you two, got it? This'll make up for stabbing me with like 20 of you.

[he tries a little harder, whining and flailing before giving up and starting to chew on his own paw]

[well, it is Tycoon]

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