INHUMAN RESOURCES

A corporate horror MKG. [ MOBILE LINKS ]

[inhumanresourcesmkg]

she took my hand and said i hope that we will meet again * ana * epilogue

Ana Serafini has never been good with her personal story, given that she’s spent most of her life holding so many longed-for branches of other people’s as well as nursing one particular ‘beginning’ to hers. On that metric, if anything, she’s now even worse with it— how can we even come to consider what a closure might sound like for her, when any ‘end’ is now so much further down the line than even she’s actually come to realise yet? ‘Ana Serafini’ is going to be around even longer than her childhood’s wildest dreams in their most scared moments could have ever hoped for, there are generations of wishes yet to come and find a home nestled in her hands or in one of the stars that make up ‘Ana’ now, and to be entirely honest her head hasn’t even begun to start to try wrap itself around that fact, because it’s like she’s been saying for so, so long now:

one step at a time.

And it turns out there are so many little immediate steps to take first. 

Hallow might have made new life in a week, but Ana is not so efficient. Her body may still be brand new as it floats and glows and shimmers, but its reformation left more pieces than just the memory of splintering under magic and might than she realised— and in that empty week of Firmament panic-force-holidaying its employees, she keeps finding new shards of them crunching underneath her feet. 

Did she expect any different? Ana doesn’t know. Because she never expected anything at all and not even just because things were never meant to happen the way they did. Her imagination simply created one big big picture of the state that things should be and what she would be, but it turns out she has to look up close at the brush strokes now and see how it all blends together, pick apart each of the colours. It’s over, it’s begun, it’s everything in-between. 

And maybe for a day it’s overwhelming. Maybe after those shuttered lobby doors are opened to forever and all the work they want to do is finally, firmly, safely in their hands— maybe all that can be done for a moment is gently placing it down and shedding that emotional relief. 

But in moments both slow and fast in the rest of that week, she begins to bring those little pieces of her human life back in.  

She says goodbye to those among the group looking to leave as they do, if they’ll allow her the honour, or she gives them a tight squeeze of a hug and turns the goodbye into a I’ll see you soon I promise for when all is said and on the right track here, or she doesn’t interact with them at all if they’d rather let her drift into memory. And even if thinking that she’s become a painful memory hurts her, that’s not the point, is it? The choice of whether they want to open a door to her again or not will always be in their hands even if her first ever time experiencing a connection or five being sawed loose aches and leaves jagged holes of shapes she’s never known, because she knows this is her share of the grief from all she’d known about their situation here. And no matter her reasoning, she’ll never begrudge them that. 

She moves out of the Training Building and Room 3 finally, properly, for good this time, and it’s a slightly odd space to look around with nostalgia but she finds some anyway in between the remaining frogs and couch cushions and snacks. She folds an origami bird with wings outstretched and leaves it on Cloud Nine’s desk even if she has no idea if the cubicle will be there tomorrow or in a week or in a future hopefully less cramped, because she’d been robbed of doing that one nice last day for her human self and, well, she left memorials for everyone else even if she’d known all along they still walked the world.

She takes the elevator down, down, all the way down again on her own this time even if stepping onto that field sets a tremble through her, and she quietly retraces their steps with a small bag of star shaped candy and gathers up the bits and pieces that spirited themselves away from a folder under her bed. And she finds a little notebook underneath a star lamp and realises she hadn’t actually gotten further with what to do, here. And eventually she carefully tears out some certain pages from within but determines that tearing them up any further feels wrong, and so instead she carefully folds them up and places them underneath the celestial mural splashed across the back wall, please take these somewhere else again. 

In-between all of these, she works out the quirks of her new body. Instinct had carried her far in the fight and literal flight of Firmament’s basement, but the mundane really has its ways of making you have to pause to think how you do things sometimes, doesn’t it? She tries pulling on that strange new magical muscle that reins gravity in again and washes away the glow just to practice taking the stairs without cheating (until she realises everyone she might pass within Firmament is going to look for the source of that strange energy feeling anyway, and no longer bothers to hide herself to the Baalatro). She remembers, abruptly and suddenly and with a slightly lethargic tumble through the air that would have set her heart fluttering before, that Novarii sustain themselves on wish energy too and she ran her tank to Extremely Empty very recently. She learns, slowly and gently, that sleep is something that can still come to her, but it feels more like letting her consciousness drift slower and slower rather than vividly dreaming anymore, which is fine. Enough dreaming can come when she’s awake. 

So many little steps, in that week and the month that follows, and certainly into the oncoming new year; a big beginning in its own right. Some grief will always remain and she will never begrudge it or call it unfair. And there’s work to do too, of course, parts of the outside to unwind and restore and items in the inside world to sort and organise and honestly maybe sneakily throw in a folder to bury if she thinks it would just upset Laika because she’s learnt her lesson on that front, and a hug and a small prayer and a very first journey up, up, up higher than she’s ever been before to layers of the sky that an instinctive part of her body wants to gasp to sustain breath in, but instead it’s just awe even before she can begin searching for other stars.

Yet that new millennium stretches ahead just waiting to be filled with new joys. Both exuberant and tentative: weddings and finally getting to say it’s so nice to meet you! to real people instead of the shape of them being longed for; quiet invitations after some time apart to catch up and share the little things they’ve made for themselves. Here and there: there is always work to do but those who stayed to help she’ll never shy away from, so they can make that long term camaraderie for real; finally getting to make that answer of travelling far from here real rather than a clever dodge, and alongside others too. Now and later: there’s a line that was embedded in the sand and perhaps a long and tentative dance to come on it, but even every half step is a warm delight and each one has the freedom to be considered and breathe. They have time. They have so much time and a new world to stretch it in— a privilege she intends to make them both enjoy full use of, even if there’s work to do, because she still at least owes a coffee at the start of the world.

(and so the princess finds herself being formally treated like one as the opening to this dance, and this is how she discovers that despite everything, she can still flush.) 

But even all of that is still not so immediate. It is multiple lives to span and possibly even hold onto afterwards, such is the way Ana works in the world now and so cannot be so easily covered as an epilogue.

Closer in, then. A particular hour, a minute to minute. Just before Firmament trickles back to work, after heaven and earth were moved in previously only dreamt of ways— there is one immediate thing to be put to rest, a slightly stray part of all that started this off. 

Somewhere in Firmament Still-Industries-For-Now-But-They’ll-Get-To-That, there’s a newborn star trying to find a phone. 

* * *

With the offices still mostly empty it’s not a hard task, though it is a slightly uncanny feeling. Ana eventually slips into a random office with its door ajar, though not without giving a smile and small wave to the employee opposite who hadn’t felt the urge to abandon all tools just yet and got to stick their head out a different door to gawk. 

There she folds herself into a seat, though she fails to notice that shortly after doing so she comes to actually float slightly above it. One hand instinctively falls to twirl the thick phone cord around her fingers, the other with just as much muscle memory dials a number long engraved there, and Ana waits with a held breath she doesn’t need. 

“TurnTide Office Solutions front desk, how can I help you?” 

“Hi..!” Of course the voice sitting at reception is unfamiliar, but Ana hadn’t expected that fact to tug a tripwire in her gut. “Could you, um, could you put me through to Damian Serafini, please? I’m really sorry to have to bother you to go through this, but I- I already tried my dad’s phone and I guess he’s, like, not working today or out of his office right now or something? So I just thought maybe I should try-” 

“…Right. Can I ask who’s calling?”

“Oh! Oh, sorry, it’s- Ana, Viviana Serafini. I’m Damian’s niece.”

“Right,” the receptionist repeats again, but this time with the extra drawl of the i that’s a plain giveaway of disbelief. “Ma’am, I mean no disrespect, but you have to understand, I can’t just put anyone through to the CEO based only on a name on the phone. If you’d like me to take a message, I can try to get that passed through the appropriate channels for you, but-” 

“No, wait-! Wait, could you… could you humour me for a moment, please? I have a- passphrase. I think that’s the term. If… if you look up the extension for Viviana Serafini…” She pauses for a moment, giving appropriate space to the sound of chair wheels rolling and nails across a computer keyboard when it comes after a beat. “And there’s no phone number there, but if you look at the, um… oh, it’s either the department or the notes, but one of them should read…” A giggle despite herself. “Bright rainbow cat.”  

There’s another pause, and Ana can almost see the receptionist’s eyes continuing along the line that reads just as she says— including the words written in caps right afterwards: IF CALLING, PATCH THROUGH IMMEDIATELY.

“…I really do apologise for the trouble, Miss Serafini, I- I had no idea about this, I haven’t had much interaction with—.” 

“Oh! No, no, it’s okay, it’s nothing to apologise for, I really did just say my name, and I- I haven’t used this way of calling my dad since I was like, fifteen or something, and the last receptionist knew me, ehe…” 

“I’m afraid I still can’t patch you through to either Mr Serafini, though. Damian was called out to attend a conference for the week and Adrian has been out of office for, oh… some months now. He has set up requests for who his calls should be forwarded to though, I can put you through to one of those?”

“No, I… I don’t think that’ll work, I’m sorry. I’m trying to get through to him…” 

Ana’s words trail off into a low whine of a sigh, her eyes closing and head hanging so as to briefly feel her press the phone received into her forehead. The receptionist is saying something, but Ana’s hands slip slightly until the receiver is squeezed closer to her chest now, as though attempting to hug the phone with enough force that maybe, just maybe, it’ll be beamed to the person she intended to reach. Gosh, she’s lived away from home many a time many a year, but it’s only now in the wake of everything - good and bad and near-lethal - that she’s realising just how much she’s had to neglect being able to hug her dad, and she thought she’d long put to rest the guilt of planning to leave him behind but in the last few days it’s rolled and turned and unearthed itself in her mind and gut, and now… 

…actually, why can’t she?

Why shouldn’t she? The doors are open! The doors are open and she has been so upset and then so busy, but she should’ve— she could’ve— the doors are open and the sky is open and she’s never flown before, no further than across a room at best, this would be such a big journey if she took the supernatural way— but she’s going to have to be brave a little bit again, because she’s waited too long already and she shouldn’t, can’t wait any more. 

“Look, don’t worry, it- thank you so much for your help, but I have to go. Like, I really have to go. Bye-!” 

The receiver slams down and Ana impressively trips in the air trying to scramble out of a chair she was no longer actually sat in and tear out of the office. Her hurry will allow for a quick message being left behind to ensure others know that she hasn’t gone gone, but in no time at all comes the first sighting of that shooting star seemingly leaving Firmament. 

* * *

It’s bright when Ana arrives, and so a shooting star falling into the Serafini’s yard is thankfully easily missed. It chooses to fall at the gate leading to the actual property rather than directly at the front door, because as tempting as saving even just a few minutes in this is, she’s also interested in minimising the number of possible scares today.

For this call though - when that star forms itself into a body that already looks so very dull to her now to be able to press the bell at the gate - she only needs to say one thing, even if her voice breaks a little: “It’s Ana.” 

And the path opens instantly.

Last time she’d come home she’d been driven up to the door, her life in the back and far too many secrets buried deep within her reasoning for moving back home in that month before Firmament: a job application she never fully explained, not really; a sudden anxious reliance on her emails married to the hope set in her heart. This time she walks, slower than her usual in that practice once again, the remnants of those feelings strewn behind her on the path covering the last half a year. That’s not for here, she resolves, and maybe that’s selfish too! Maybe her parents also counted in those that had a right to know what she was doing for herself and the world, especially given how it nearly ended! 

But it didn’t end that way. And so, to her, there will be enough in all she eventually tells them of what she is now, and where she’ll be in the world. This, too, is something else to wrap her head around later. 

She’s still a little ways away when the front door opens. 

“Vivi?” 

No-one in her close life likely had any room to suspect anything was wrong, of course. Ana hadn’t died - hadn’t ever planned to - and so Firmament would’ve kept up that fake communication long enough throughout, no mention of anything that conveniently wiped her from the world. Perhaps her unannounced arrival seemingly on foot is something of a surprise to her family, but it wasn’t as if they had any reason to know that she’d been in danger all this time; that barely even a week ago she’d had to dodge multiple chances of being ripped apart by angels of all things. 

But any onlooker could’ve been easily fooled. As soon as Viviana breaks into a run to close the gap her father is ready in the doorway, his dishevelled and exhausted form still able to catch his daughter as she slams herself into the offer hug and grips with a strength she hadn’t anticipated and neither had he, but instinctively matches anyway— and even more so as the first sob she chokes on loosens her grip on a particular magical muscle and her body begins to light with just enough golden glow to trigger panic; Adrian’s hands immediately sliding to cup either side of her face as if to try to hold her together, whatever he’d been saying backsliding into panicked repeats of denial. 

But Ana smiles through the tears that of course are present, mental hand pulling herself together once again as a physical one goes to rest over the top of her father’s hand.

“It’s okay. It’s gonna be okay forever now, Dad. I- I have a lot to explain, but- I’m better than I’ve ever been. I promise.” 

Ana Serafini is going to be around for a very very long time. Maybe you’ll see her frequently, in and out of the lives that wish or want for her to be there because she has wishes to fulfill in all of that too, even if she doesn’t magically get to grant her own anymore. Maybe she fades to just a passing thought for you, idly remembered on a particularly clear night if your gaze reaches the stars and wonders what of yours might have drifted up there to those who hold such things. Or maybe it’ll take some time before you see her again, some time far away: sat on the edge of someone else’s desk somewhere in Heaven waiting to give you a hug before you’re led to the cosmos.

But right now, she’s here at her childhood home where once upon a time a piece of a star was delivered, and finally wrapped in her father’s arms again this is one part she can finally close for the both of them.

“You… you remember that wish you made..?”

[inhumanresourcesmkg]

A Lifetime Of Dreams and Smiles | Kioko x Bianca EPILOGUE

Kioko Kaijo thought a lot about the moments after it ended. After the angels, the mess of claws and wings and clown makeup was gone, and she’d been touched by God, the one and the same who would have embraced her were they able.

She thought about the decision she had to make in that moment. When Bianca chose to stay an Angel, and she had to choose.

You should never expect Kioko Kaijo to choose a boring future.

There’s no way to have everything she wants, so she had to choose half. Which is so unfair, you know? She’d rather lose everything trying than get a choice like that. It’s a hard choice, too. The hardest.

Her human half was so easy to throw out. And so difficult to treasure. Who would treasure that side of her? Hold it close and protect it?

There were so many faces. Keith. Tegan. Adrien. Derek. Heck, Bianca too had treasured her human self for so long

You know what? Screw that. Kioko Kaijo decided in that moment that she wanted it all. That she didn’t want to give up nice things just to survive anymore. That she wanted to live up to all the promises and dreams she’d made while she was here. Wanted to visit everyone, see as much as she could. Wanted to help Bianca push Firmament in a new direction, too. Even if she couldn’t impart any lasting change on her own, she could still be there. The greatest trick, after all, is to just move one inch forward. To change things by a single decimal point. In a place the world may not notice right away, but one that would pay dividends further down the line. And even if she didn’t know how she could contribute, she’d learned one thing in her time here.

Sometimes, just being there was enough.

…

…

Bianca Vogelmann had always been obsessed with the fantastical hope that buzzed around in her head. The ideas of fiction that let her be the hero in a world that would constantly push down the little guy. Most of the time, they were just that. Ideas, fiction, fantasy, ideals, things that were only in the mind but never based in reality.

Now, she finds that reality can be more fantastical than fiction, especially now that she’s actively working to help Firmament become a better place. Sometimes she wakes up from her occasional self imposed sleep to dream and then wakes up remembering that she’s still an angel, still helping the world…

And that she’s still in love and beside Kioko.

That she gets to see Keith’s family, and Derek thriving, Tegan as well, and so many others.

And to see genuine smiles on people’s faces once again. All over the world, on the streets. That creative minds could fulfill their minds with hope and fantasies that would lead them to all sorts of treasures that life had to offer.

In an odd way, she missed her old name, even if it didn’t match her face, it matched her personality, and perhaps more than ever, it matched the desire she had for the world.

A Smiley Face.

For one, for all, forever.

♫♫♫♫♫♫

Kioko had always been an early riser on account of her previous line of work. Even now, after it all, she found the habit hard to break.

Warm sunlight was just starting to stream through the window when she stirred. She yawned, and stretched, squinting her eyes to adjust to the light. And she smiled, just sitting and listening to the soft breathing next to her for a bit.

Just enjoying the warmth, on the precipice between sleep and morning. A space she hadn’t spent this much time in for years. There was always something else to do, a bill that needed paid or else she’d be out on the street, a shift to get to on time or else her life would crumble, a fear of the loudspeaker announcing a loved one had died again- But here, she could just sit, and be.

But she had to get up. As much as she wanted to stay and linger, her body’s natural clock was winning the struggle. And the urge to stretch, make coffee, go for a run- Today, those were the only worries on her mind. She sat up, stretched-

And an arm linked with hers, pulling her back down-

“No… stay for a few more minutes…” Bianca’s arm lightly pulled her back toward the bed. Even as an angel that didn’t need to sleep, the joy and comfort of resting beside her beloved could sustain her for decades.

“I rarely get to sleep these days, I want to savor it a little longer with you.” She hums as she tucks herself under the covers as if to drag Kioko back down with her.

Kioko stretched her hands out towards the window in mock protest… Her stretches, her run, her coffee… But it was the weekend, and it was probably real cold, huh… And these blankets, and Bianca, were both real warm-

“Noooooooooooo-” She still wiggled her arm, though, letting herself be pulled back down. “-ooooooOK~”

“Oh no, you’ve got meee-” Kioko, you dork. She giggled, slipping back under next to Bianca and pulling her into an embrace. “What am I gonna do nooow-”

She kissed Bianca, resting her forehead against hers. “Well, I’m here now, so I guess I’ll stay a bit, eh?”

And some blissful silence, just the two of them breathing…

“We got all the time in the world…” A soft chuckle. “Mmm, we’re s’posed to go see Keith and Rhia today, right?”

Bianca wrapped her arms around Kioko and nuzzled her, indulging in the affection as she spoke. “You’re going to have to make a contested roll against my grappling, and I have advantage on my rolls.” Those boxer arms sure come in handy.

Kioko snickered. “Roll away, babe, I’m ready~”

But upon hearing their actual schedule she lets out a little gasp and sits straight up.

“You’re right! We can’t keep them waiting! I’ve got a whole bunch of games and ideas that I need to share with them.” And just as quickly as she was tucked under the blanket she tosses them off and starts to get herself ready.

“I was thinking of making a game with some deck building mechanics but also incorporating some worker placement. So you use the cards you play to determine where you send your agent and-” And she’s off, her wings fluttering in excitement and the dice laden halo whirling with excitement.

“Oh right, we should grab breakfast first. Man, I haven’t had pancakes in awhile. Let’s have that first!”

And so Kioko was left lying where the blanket had once pulled her back under, but all she could do was smile. As much as the quiet moments were a delight to be treasured, she took another sort of joy in watching Bianca’s mind work like this.

“Worker placement? Oooh, that’s new-”

But it waas pancakes that got her to sit up as well, her grin spreading.

“Pancakes? With chocolate chips! Why? Because we can.” She giggled and slipped out of bed, following along in the glow Bianca left around her. It wasn’t the wings or the halo. It was her grin, the way her eyes glowed when she got on a roll with a new game idea like this. The way she looked at Kioko that could make her smile no matter what, like she was the only other person in the room. The way she could never say no when Bianca wanted to sleep in, the way she cuddled when they were half-asleep, those little sleepy half-smiles and quiet words of affection early in the morning…

“And whipped cream, too! Heheh, oh, or maybe fruit, heck, now I’m thinkin’ about-”

Yeah, in Kioko’s eyes, the halo and wings didn’t make her an angel. It was everything else, from that first day they met back at Firmament to these happy tiems now… That was her. And every day they had now was another day Kioko found something new she loved about Bianca.

These days she found herself thinking ‘bout rings, and everything that came with it. All it would take is one mention of the word to Keith and he’d be off like a blue blur, her arm in his, ready to pick something out. And the idea of planning something like that, too- Seung-jae would be there, battling Keith for best man - that battle would be legendary! Gosh it’d be nice to have Tegan and Beau there too, and little Eun-bi? Gosh, she hoped Ryan would come. She really did miss Ryan; they didn’t get down their way near often enough. Ben, of course, was most welcome. She’d love to invite Jess, but she’d leave that arrangement to Bianca. Mel and Yui would be… a game-time decision, perhaps. Would Aileen turn up if Kioko invited her? A quiet life was good for the soul; she hoped as much for her. Would Laika come? Would Ana? They’d have invitations, that’s for sure. If Fio happened to turn up as someone’s plus one? You know what, that’s just fine. And- Oh god, Derek, Adrien, of course they’d be in! How’d this tradition stuff work? Did she have to just pick one best man? She loved all'a them…

Gosh, she just wanted to see everyone again, didn’t she. She blinked, snapping out of that happy little daydream and right back into the one she was living here and now. If Bianca looked back, she’d see Kioko grinning her silliest grin, just staring over at her.

Kioko Kaijo could afford to dream again.

Bianca had already slipped on her clothes and looked quizzically over at Kioko when she flashed that silly grin at her.

“What’s with that look? You that excited to get pancakes that you’re daydreaming about it.” She snorts and matches Kioko’s grin. “I can’t blame you, I treat every moment like a treasure so I end up dreaming about them too. Now let’s go, we’ve got a whole day ahead of us!”

And the day after that, the weeks after that, if all goes well… perhaps years after that and maybe even a lifetime.

A lifetime full of smiles…

[inhumanresourcesmkg]

Now, I Have Everything | Seung-jae Epilogue!

Once Upon a Time --

(Which, Seung-jae­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ insists, is how any good story must begin) --­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Far, far away, in the magical land of Pennsylvania, lived Snow White, his loyal knight, their prince, and a little princess who personally hand-picked the names of all the kingdom’s frogs.

Though far from living in a castle, the home feels enchanted all the same. The floors creaked like they were whispering secrets to one another, and sunlight always found its way through the windows with its forgiving warmth, as though it had been invited here. If magic still existed anywhere, it was here, quiet and unassuming.

Most mornings began with a burnt offering to the clown gods by Snow White himself, pancakes blackened for just a second too long, smoke curling toward the ceiling. This was usually followed by Seung-jae slinking away in theatrical shame, apron discarded, while the loyal knight Tegan wordlessly took over the stove with the patience of someone who had seen this happen many times before.

Meanwhile, Beau, the most handsome prince in the land, escorted Princess Eun-bi to the breakfast table. She was temporarily a bitter dragon, having been awoken far too early from her royal slumber, but this mood quickly shifted once Detective Frog was placed before her.

The case this morning was particularly dire.

The stuffed bear Squiggle had been found brutally murdered. His innards were ripped out with shocking cruelty.

“Bobo,” Eun-bi groans, rubbing small circles into her temples like the weight of the kingdom rests squarely on her tiny shoulders, “you’re a better sidekick than appa… but I think daddy Tegan would’ve solved this already.” She sighed deeply. “Oh, Detective Frog. We’re really in it now…”

Beau presses a hand to his chest in mock offense. Tegan hides a smile behind his mug.

The mystery is only resolved when Seung-jae returns to the room holding a scruffy little white puppy: a Bichon Frise, because, of course, he is a sucker for a white dog with a ridiculous haircut.

“APPA?!” Eun-bi gasps, her mood transforming instantly like a frog into a prince. She skitters across the floor as fast as her little legs could carry her and latches onto his own leg. “You got us a puppy?!”

Then, just as quickly, her smile drops as she sees fuzzy brown fabric peeking out of the little thing's mouth.

“Appa…Did the puppy murder Squiggles?”

“A casualty,” Seung-jae says solemnly, kneeling to her level and holding out the fluffy white ball of fur. “But Squiggles incited the violence, I’m certain, bug. Will you forgive him if you get to pick his name? I mean… look at his little face.” He punctuates this with a wave of the dog's small paw.

Naming a dog, however, is no small feat. Eun-bi immediately returns to the table, paper spread out, arms shielding it protectively as she whispers classified information to Detective Frog. No secrets would be leaked today.

Seung-jae watches her for a moment, then looks up at the other two men with a soft, almost disbelieving fondness.

Because this, right here, right now… This is a fairy tale.

He was no longer trapped in a glass coffin, preserved and waiting for life to start. It was already happening, unfolding messily and beautifully before him.

As terrible as his time at Firmament had been, he was grateful for the moments it had given him in return. Magic might exist, sure… but the friendships he’d formed felt far more powerful than that. Because of the wish he’d been granted, his parents accepted Eun-bi without hesitation. Because of everything that followed, he found himself taking a quieter role at Sunrise Holdings; He was not quite ready to be in charge, but content to oversee what he could from home, through phone calls and the miracle of early-2000s internet.

His dream of being “the best housewife, like, ever” turned out to matter more than anything else, raising his daughter, and waiting patiently at home for his two loving husbands. Eun-bi also gets two incredibly doting grandparents to buy expensive presents and brag about her to anybody who would listen.

The days can get lonely once she goes to school, but there is Adrien to call when the house feels too quiet, and who could come and visit with an open invitation, as the little brother Seung-jae had always wanted. Yui, when there was gossip to share (even if she was usually busy with something… unfortunate, like murder), was just a phone call away, with Melody too. There is Auntie Ryan, for visits that happened far away from home, because Seung-jae still hadn’t quite gotten over that. Maybe Beau hadn’t either. Maybe Ben would be there with her to greet him. Maybe he wouldn’t. Life was funny like that.

There were familiar faces he’ll likely see again, whether he liked it or not. Fio, using whatever name he was going by these days, if he cared to visit his friend Beau. He might see Armando getting arrested on TV with the rest of the Vittoris and clap. He’ll meet with Aileen, inevitably, because she, Tegan, and Keith kept in touch. She’d stay on the Christmas card list, regardless. He thinks of Liaoyi and Ines, and he wishes them luck with their career and their girlfriend-slash-hopefully wife, respectively. He hopes Laika, his not-so-evil queen, is happy too. Hopes Ana is, wherever she may be.

He can always count on Jess to be strange and whimsical, even if not directly in his sight. Derek will surely meet him at an aquarium someday, and they can chat for hours, both far too excited over fish. Bianca and Kioko will surely be happy together, and they can expect him to remain aggressively invested in wing manning forever.

And Keith, Keith is just over in New Jersey, as Seung-jae picked to live in Pennsylvania by that design (close to Keith, but not having to live in New Jersey, which he was oddly averse to). There will be wine with Rhia. Eun-bi will instantly befriend Asher Jr., and she’ll beg to bring the Bichon- whom she decided to name Dubu- along as well. There will be birthdays, holidays, Christmases, and New Year's, all spent together.

Snow White is no longer asleep, admired, hated, or alone.

He had a life filled with people he chose, and who chose him back.

There were no wicked queens left, no curses hidden in apples. The mirror no longer whispered cruel things, and it certainly wasn’t magical.

After all, the beauty of fairy tales is in the ending, isn’t it?

And a happily ever after doesn’t have to be loud.

It can look like blankets on a couch. Bedtime stories. A daughter bragging to her entire class about having three dads. Quiet mornings. Quiet nights. Happiness that is humble, soft, and deeply real.

As Seung-jae kisses Eun-bi goodnight, he thinks that maybe the greatest difference between fairy tales and real life is this:

In real life, you get to choose your own ending.

And oh, Isn’t it lovely to live inside your own happily ever after?

THE END.

[inhumanresourcesmkg]

rikers island, summer 2000 || lil man feat. benny boy || epilogue

Armando Giudice leans back slightly in his chair, arms crossed over his chest as he waits for a familiar face to appear on the other side of the plexiglass window. At the sight of a walking cane tapping the floor on the other side, he sits up straight and rests one arm as close to the nearby phone as he can get it without seeming too eager.

Benigno Giudice sits down slowly on the other side, picking up the phone.

“Hello, Armando,” the older brother begins. “I see you’re doing… as well as can be expected.”

Armando rests his head against the wall of the booth, phone in the other ear.

“I guess,” he replies, “Though I didn’t think you’d get all sassy about it.”

Benigno’s moustache twitches as his lips curl in annoyance.

“Well, I’m sorry if I don’t sound chipper to see my little brother behind bars a second time.”

Armando sits up straight, arms crossed.

“No, it’s innocent until proven guilty, right? We don’t know what all they know…”

“Ahem,” Benigno interrupts. “I think we can hazard a guess. Your lovely ex - oh, right, that one I warned you about, yes? She spilled everything when her past caught up to her."

“WHAT,” Armando replies incredulously. “That’s…” Armando tightens his hand into a fist. “That’s… There’s still that thing where they can’t get you on old shit, right?”

“The statute of limitations,” Benigno replies in the best middle manager voice he can manage. “And it doesn’t apply to murder.”

“Ugh, fine. What about double jeopardy,” Armando suggests.

“This isn't what they got you on the first time, nitwit,” Benigno replies. “They didn’t find the bodies until just the other day.” A pause. “ And the autopsies are consistent with Ms. Seconda Vittori's testimony.”

“Miss Vittori,” Armando muses aloud. "Did she get divorced again?"

“Of course.” A pause, and a giggle. “Now that you mention it, she is your type, isn't she?”

“Eww,” Armando replies. “It ain’t like that, Benny Boy! I wouldn’t run off and date my ex's sister.”

“Suuure,” Benigno replies. “But I don’t buy that you never thought about it.” “Man, shut up,” Armando says as he pulls a face. “You’re just jealous you could never get a smooth vixen like Harlow, stumblin’ around looking like the fuckin’ Monopoly man.”

“Armando,” Benigno pipes up. “Language.”

“Who cares about language?! I’m in jail for fuckin' murder, for Christ’s sake!”

“I do! Diletta does. Our mother did and still does,” Benigno replies. “And we both know she’d smack you sideways, if she caught you talking to me like this.”

“Yeah, well…” Armando waves his hand vaguely in the air, in defeat. “That’s her problem.”

“That’s her problem, huh? What an excellent, I dare say, what a resplendently insightful opinion, coming from our family’s biggest problem, forty-six years running.” A head tilt. “And you kiss our mother with that mouth?”

“Yes,” Armando replies with a huff. “What else is new.”

“What’s new,” Benigno replies, taking a moment to collect himself before continuing. “What’s new is you’re facing life in prison, because you decided that so many young men and women had to never be home for Christmas again, all so you could get Little Timmy a new bicycle, or whatever.”

“That’s not true,” Armando replies. “Some of ‘em didn’t celebrate Christmas.” A pause. “Probably.”

“Armando,” Benigno replies, refusing to entertain the deflection. “Look. Here’s the deal. The truth is going to come out, and you’re going to be locked up where you can’t hurt anyone anymore. A ton of mourning families are going to finally have some answers,” Benigno replies. “So come this December, we’re gonna be writing a holiday card to each and every family you hurt, apologizing for their child’s death.” A pause. “I will figure out which holiday, for each of them. Don’t worry about that part.”

“WHAT,” Armando replies once again. “Half a' these people were crooks, too, Benny! Why the fuck do I gotta apologize for teachin’ em a lesson?”

“Well, I don’t know, Manny,” Benigno replies, the old nickname eliciting a disgusted expression from Armando that doesn’t feel too out of place in the heat of an argument. “Because you’re not going to meet my children again until you do so.”

Wiping back the tears welling up in his eyes, Benigno continues.

“...Or Diletta, or our dear mother, for that matter. We're all in lockstep on this.”

Armando grits his teeth, rubbing his forehead in frustration.

“Well, fine, if it helps you have a Merry Christmas, or whatever it is your jolly ass cares about these days.” With no room left to argue, Armando finally lowers his voice. “Did youse all have a nice one without me, by the way?”

“Of course,” Benigno retorts. “I always make sure of it.”

“Good,” Armando replies. “I’ll make sure to call, this year.” A low chuckle. “I’ll rip the phone outta some poor sop’s hands, if I have to.”

“Manny.”

“I don’t go by that no more.”

“Very well, then. See you in a few months.”

“Aight, bye.”

“Farewell, my bombastic baby brother,” Benigno replies in a lilting sing-song voice, as he hangs up the phone.

[inhumanresourcesmkg]

Light, Speed, Go || Beau McAllister Epilogue

Time marched on. The Sun rose like it always did. And it set, just as it always had. 

Though, in Hollywood, it’s become quite hard to tell the difference between night and day. Signs and lights illuminate the dark, casting a phosphorescent spotlight on every little scandal. Stolen kisses that should have been better hidden. Jewels that glittered just a little too brightly to be genuine. Money given and money lost. 

Too many to count. Too much to care about. That meant it was the perfect cover. The masses are too absorbed in their own scenes, too busy being the main characters of their own sordid tales, to even spare a second thought when they hear a cry for help. 

“My purse! He took my–” The woman, freshly bruised and dejected, quickly realizes that there is no cavalry to come to her call. Instead of humiliating herself further, she tugs at the torn strap of her dress, puffs her chest, and stumbles on a broken high heel towards an alleyway. 

Unlike the rest of the city, it’s dark. There isn’t anything that the city wants to see here. The opening, squeezed between a laundromat and a pizza joint, stretches in front of her like some kind of cavern. The woman is certain that she saw the thief run into here. She’s also certain that this might be the dumbest thing she’s ever done, but she’s determined to show this place– this city– that she can win. 

One foot in front of the other. She expects to hear yelling– perhaps the dreaded click of a gun, like in the movies– but, instead, she’s stopped just beyond the threshold by the sound of a struggle. Two men, it sounds like. And as her eyes adjust to the void of darkness, she sees only a shock of bright pink hair and the shine of a metal baseball bat raised high above. 

The bat comes down, and the sudden heady scent of copper causes the woman to wobble backwards, onto her broken heel, and a moment later she’s scraping her palms on the concrete ground and cursing under her breath. 

Footsteps. A figure approaches. It isn’t the thief. No– That moniker likely belonged to the crumpled, utterly broken that sat just a few feet beyond her. Beyond this other person. And as they get closer, she can’t help but stifle the thought that they’re… much shorter than she had pictured at a glance. She’s sure that if she got to her feet, she would tower over them. She doesn’t dare, though. Because his wild expression, freckled and freshly streaked with scarlet across his nose, causes even her breathing to freeze in place.

He extends a hand forward. She braces for impact, fearing the worse, but the metal bat stays limp at his side. Instead, he offers her– 

“Your purse, miss.” 

The screen cuts to black, and the title dramatically fades in.

THE VIGILANTE 

[Coming Soon to a theater near you. The film advertised has been Rated R. Audiences under 17 require a parent or guardian.]

----------

The movie trailer plays almost unnoticed on the large TV as chaos erupts in the kitchen nearby. 

“I thought it would cook faster if I turned the temperature up!” Beau McAllister yells, apologetically, erratically waving his hands to dissipate the dark smoke. 

“That’s not how it works!!” Tegan Rue screeches in response, swatting a rag first at the air, then at Beau’s shoulder– eliciting a soft laugh from the other man. 

“Okay, okay. Lesson learned. I’ll order pizza, then.” 

When Seung-jae Baek walks into the midst of the bedlam, holding two nearly identical formal suit jackets in either hand, he’s completely unphased. This may as well be a weekly event in this household, after all. “Which one, babe?” 

“If you outdress me at another premiere, I’ll never forgive you. But I’d go with–” 

Beau is cut off by the sound of two little feet tamping quickly from room to room, then by Eun-bi crashing into his leg and capturing him in a swift hug. 

“Bobo’s on TV!” 

He smiles at the nickname. She’s the only one on Earth allowed to call him that. 

“Are we gonna go see his movie?” 

“Of course! We’ll all–” Beau starts, then quickly winces at identical, wide stares from both Tegan and Seung-jae. “We’ll, uh… We’ll all go for your 18th birthday! Look forward to it.” 

----------

The Vigilante released to success in the box office, but received fairly mixed reviews from critics and the public. Many praised its stylish visuals and ambitiously gritty aesthetic, as well as the lead actor’s commitment to the role despite the rather weak writing and unusual dialogue. In about 20 years, it’ll become a cult classic that many swear on their lives was simply too ahead of its time. Reddit threads will engage in heated debates over whether or not the hammy dialogue was an intentional satire. Others insist the movie was marketed incorrectly, and should have been labeled as a comedy. And a precious few maintain that the movie, despite not being credited as such, is a classic and prime early example of the Ironic Neo-Noire Crime Drama film. 

But we aren’t there in the timeline. Right now, we’re just a few years into the new millennium– where many are still adjusting to a rapidly changing world. 

Here, in the new world, Beau sits in an office alone, rifling through a few magazines. Currently, he seems utterly unphased by the passage of time. His hair, though now cut a little neater and cropped closer to his scalp, is still its signature bright pink. His face, still round and boyish, retains the same dusting of freckles across his nose. And, most tragically, he still has yet to grow any taller. 

A few of the headlines he saved over the years catch his eye, and he sorts them into a small pile to his left. 

CAPTAIN CUSTARD STAR ANNOUNCES FINAL SEASON

NEW DIRECTION FOR FORMER CHILD STAR– CRITICS PAN ‘VIOLENT’ AND ‘JARRING’ OPENING NIGHT

BEAU MCALLISTER SEEN WITH TWO PLUS ONES AT PREMIERE. DOES HE HAVE ‘BEAUS’ OF HIS OWN?

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH BEAU MCALLISTER AFTER HOLLYWOOD EXIT– WHAT IS HE UP TO NOW? 

INSIDE THE ‘INNER DRAGON’-- MARTIAL ARTS STUDIO RAN BY FORMER CHILD ACTOR 

It’s been a few months since that last one, and though it brought it a new generation of fresh-faced hopefuls ready for his tutelage, Beau finds that he wouldn’t mind if it were the last time he saw his name in print. He’d even told Keith to use a pseudonym for him in the credits of Olympus Mon, though he can’t say he contributed too much. Really, he felt more like an intern than anything. But he wouldn’t give up those long, caffeinated evenings watching Keith pour over lines of text or brainstorming concept art for all the credit in the world. 

Beau had tasted fame– gorged himself on it, really– and seen both the best and the worst that Hollywood had to offer. He’d seen scandal and success in equal measure. It was exhilarating, but just as exhausting. His reason for leaving the city was actually much simpler, though. 

He hated being away from home too long. 

The sound of laughter, bright and airy, carries in from the living room. And here, in a better world, Beau is certain that he made the right decision. 

[inhumanresourcesmkg]

a hero is a man who knows he's free | ben epilogue

Things got better.

Of course. The world was changing for the better. But just because things got better, didn't mean that lives instantly got better. It was a process.

There were years where, despite the far better working conditions, corporations still extended a certain kind of power and influence. Some unfortunate people were still 'removed' from the line of duty.

Jack McBorrel is one of those people, marked for 'removal' because of his bad work ethic. He's fumbling with his car keys right now, sighing. His divorce hasn't helped his living conditions, forced to sleep in the back of his pickup van while they're trying to figure out who gets what. And he still needs to figure out how to pay for his son's tuition too.

And this damn key just won't fucking- god dammit-

clatters on the asphalt of the parking lot. McBorrel grumbles, feeling the fifty years of age on his back bemoan everything while he bends over to get the keys, only to feel a hand on his shoulder when he finally pushes up. There's a shiver, but hw slowly glances over-

just some guy.

orange hair, bit of a scruffy beard, big fuckin' eyes, but just some guy.

There's this feeling of... Tension. Or something along those lines. Like he's in danger, eyes widening, mouth opening- but then the hand on his shoulder lets go, and the new arrival smiles wide.

"Jack? I'm from HR."

Hours later the two figures are sitting at the back of the van, sharing heated cup noodles and talking about this and that. Jack keeps reminiscing about his failed marriage and how the years of trouble had led to his work performance falling like a rock, and how he didn't intend to abuse weird loopholes to stay employed, he just *needed* some source of insome, and they talked about his son and how proud he was, and how he felt ashamed he was such a fuckup-

and this man from HR listened. Never said his name. Just smiled and nodded and listened. Offered the occasional nugget of wisdom, like where he could get financial aid, how he could try and ease his workload without losing benefits. 

Helpful stuff.

... It felt weird. Jack had grown up right in the heat of the cruelty of the corpo states, so hearing that a guy tied to 'human resources' could be so- humane.

To him, it'd always been inhuman resources.

"I've dealt with a lot of cases like yours, Jack," the man said when they were done with their cup noodles and the sun was starting to rise out in the distance, "and I had to do some pretty mean things before, since that's what the bottom line wanted. But things are different now. People get helped, not removed. I know it's tough."

The orange haired man huffs and jumps out of the back of the van, leaning on the door as he prepares to close it so Jack can tune in for the night.

"It's just going to get better from here. Just call those numbers I gave you, talk to a few guys in the departments I mentioned... It'll be okay. Have a good night."

Jack's left there, staring at the little calling card. Flipping it over. Benjamin C. Pusher, human resources. Nothing else besides a phone number. Jack quickly pushes the van doors open, looking around-

"Hey! Thanks for the-"

... But he's gone. Huh. Did this guy jog it or something? Fucker must've really hustled his buns to get away so fast. Ah, well. Jack closes the doors again and settles for the night. Tomorrow, he's going to start making the calls and moves required to turn his life around.

And Benjamin C. Pusher is already somewhere else in the world, a smile on his face.

[inhumanresourcesmkg]

VICTORY DOES NOT YIELD AN ENDING EARTH WILL NEED MORE TIME FOR MENDING PATHS ARE OPEN, UNPAVED, ANEW DIRECTION STARTS AND ENDS WITH YOU FEET THAT ROSE FROM FLOODS OF FUTILITY HANDS THAT FOUGHT TO DECROWN NOBILITY WHAT HOPE DO THE HEAVENS HAVE FOR REFORM HOW CAN A FIRMAMENT WITHSTAND A STORM

[inhumanresourcesmkg]

Finding Magic

Can Novarii go back in time?

Maybe not, but someone might be delighted to hear that, during their stay at Firmament, the New York Yankees had already taken home the Commissioner’s Trophy.  

They might be even more delighted to see that they’d do it again next year.

See, that’s a funny thing about wishes.

They keep finding new ways to come true.

While Firmament does its best, even the most powerful lawyers in the world can’t tarnish the drip feed of rumors surrounding the abrupt leave and inconsistent stories.  Wrongful death becomes a hot button issue, and the pressure mounts more than ever for corporate giants to not only take these claims seriously, but to take actionable measures to greatly reduce wrongful deaths in the workplace to begin with.

With safer environments come more realistic deadlines.  Realistic deadlines then pave the way to a healthier work/life balance.

And with that, people are afforded the space to remember their dreams.

Time off is taken with less shame and penalty.  Wages are livable.  People can build families.  Small businesses can thrive without the pressure of corporate suffocation.  Extracurriculars are no longer a divine luxury.

Creativity no longer wilts under the chokehold of an unobtainable bottom line.

It doesn’t take long for forums to start budding, for niche interests to garner mainstream attention, for tabletop gaming to build momentum, for composers to create with unprecedented inspiration.  Busking becomes more common, though you’ll rarely find it done out of desperation.  Music fills the streets, and with it, joy spreads.

And joy looks different for everyone.

At a family gathering, a woman named Hope makes an announcement, and her older brother Henry gleefully guides her around and re-introduces her to the rest of their siblings, making sure they all remember her name.  Touba makes it just in time– it’s off-season, after all, and the next practice isn’t for awhile yet.

And on his way home, a man named James finds himself pulling over, as a bundle of four-legged joy finds its way to him.

Even Firmament itself isn't immune, though by deliberate design rather than stubborn force now. Though the exact details of its apparent change in management are kept private from the world at large, its intent is soon made quite obvious: Industries shed, Funtime restored. A corpo-city isn’t rebuilt in a day, but perhaps the tower that it was exerts less and less pressure on the world, no-one else ever feeling that divide the same again– and in its backdrop an oddly frequent shooting star that somehow seems to come and go, painting the skies surrounding Firmament Funtime with dreams of more than just earning its salary one day.

The world is more whimsical, more healthy, and with that, it’s safer.

A man with no name for his own can find it– take it– for the first time, without a shadow of fear following him.  Finally, completely, and wholly his: the freshest a slate can be.  A chance to leave bridges cut, to build new ones in their wake.  No burning necessary.

Another man learns to stop running away, and to start running toward his dreams.  Towards the ones that he knows will always be there, waiting for his return.  The world finally opens itself, allows itself to be safe for its people to pursue the lives they wish for.

A young woman, wracked with grief from her older sister’s sudden wrongful death, is granted the miracle of closure.  And with it, a charge to cherish what (and who) she’s found.  Not because of Firmament, but in spite of it.

An older brother, suffering under the thumb of debt thrust upon them, is now sharpened and refined to start the rest of their life on their own terms– and to enjoy the process all the while.  With how their laugh fills a room, and how their smile lights it up, some might find it impossible to reconcile them with that anxious, timid coworker they first met so many months ago.

With greater safety and security, there’s less relevance for the criminal underworld.  One by one, the Vittoris are exposed.  Those who have mercifully never heard of the family are now aware, but only in the past tense.  And it’s not just the Vittoris- whistleblowers start exposing organized criminals in a gradual trickle, as the cost-benefit analysis shifts in favor of clean business.  What was once an ominous threat hiding just out of sight, now slowly becomes an example of how much better life can be.

Though, if a few particularly slippery figureheads just vanish one day, their bodies never recovered, their cases quietly going cold as the world forgets about them… 

Well, better not to think about that, right?

But some wishes don’t need a Novarii to come true.

Seung-jae doesn’t need a wish for Eun-bi to grow up, safe and happy, rolling her eyes and laughing whenever a friend of her father references something from Firmament.  Something so horrible that she can’t comprehend it as more than an embarrassing inside joke from their old boring jobs.  He has the freedom to raise her, to secure her safety, to make certain that the extent of mysteries she faces are at the hands of Detective Frog.

(And maybe the mystery of why her dad flinches when she says she wants to be a clown for halloween.)

Ryan doesn’t need a wish to find herself surrounded by friends, to shake off those bad memories and make better ones.  To enjoy the settlement from Firmament, along with everyone else, to never again have to choose between education or career or love or hobbies, to ensure that she has the freedom and comfort to make her life her own.

Keith doesn’t need a wish to be the greatest father his children could ever know, the greatest husband Rhiannon could ever have, the greatest uncle to whatever children are born into his ever-growing circle of influence.  He doesn’t need a wish to reconcile with Greg, slowly pick the pieces back up, and rebuild what was taken from both of them.

Melody doesn’t need a wish to watch over Frankie as he grows up in this new world, oblivious to what caused the changes around him and how his estranged older sister might have contributed.  Reconciliation and reunion may or may not come, but she is now equipped to take what path is best for both of them.

(She and Keith could probably use a wish to figure out some bugs in Olympus Mon, but despite any obstacles, the creative spark never seems to quite burn out.)

Beau doesn’t need a wish to give him strength.  That steadfast resolution that some might call naive or short-sighted has carried him (and others) through the worst the world had to offer.  Having that strength of character seems to embolden others into carving their own paths– comes with the territory of being a hero.

Inés… might need a wish or two in order to overcome the anxiety of taking her girlfriend to the Gare du Nord.  But one endeared smile from her love is stronger than any dread that keeps her from opening her heart.  The two share a laugh, and suddenly previous barriers seem so small.

See how it comes back to joy?

The world isn’t perfect– it’s never going to be– but it’s better.

And as the world turns, as months and years pass, you might find yourself wondering…

When was the last time you found yourself wanting more?

[inhumanresourcesmkg]

Nothing More Than This

How slowly, how beautifully, the world changes.

Months ago, you and thousands of others sent a resume to Firmament Industries.  You’d been hired, but at a cost far greater than any could imagine.  Maybe you’re worse off than you’ve ever been.  Maybe you’ve found kindness in the darkest places.  Maybe you don’t think you’ve changed at all.

Regardless, there is a response.

A divine one.

You’ve made it out of the other side.

The reign of Firmament Industries ends, but the rest of your life is just about to begin.  You and your fellow survivors- all twenty of you- find each other heading to the expansive lobby, but… little else is here, aside from a reception desk.

Micah, unsure of where to send you, and unable to ask the nearest superior due to her having been crushed under unicorn hooves, disables the card scanner by the front door.  Employees have been granted time off for the rest of the… week, at least, as Firmament executive staff figure out how to clean up a mess on this scale.  How much money it takes to keep people quiet.

But it’s no longer your problem.

There's a massive settlement, not to mention the salary from the last six months, so financial concerns are the least of your worries. 

Even then, it's only the beginning.

[inhumanresourcesmkg]

just this once

[♫♫♫]

You rest and God watches, marveling in the wake of your triumphs and tribulations in all your wonderful, ugly glory. The moment arrives and then it passes. There is never any time but the present, so now it is the time to part. 

“Alright, my dear, bright things. Thank you for permitting me a moment. I… I’ll be in touch. And if you’d like to talk sooner– you know how to reach me now, don’t you?”

The heavens around you twinkle as a chorus of bells rings as an echo through your mind. Hal’s laughter, as sorrowful as it is joyous, fades slowly and his sweeping form raises with the gesture of a sigh. His palm twitches to signal your oncoming descent. 

“Wait-! Wait, please, I- I have something to ask-!” 

The cry that comes from within Hal’s hand is a sudden cut through that soft chorus of bells, and Ana almost seems startled at how roughly it clawed itself loose from her. But she’s torn off from the starting line now and she doesn’t know how many staggered steps her foot will have time to land, and so Ana simply lets whatever words she can pour out; her earlier tears soothed by the emotion in Hal’s grasp but pace still quick, throat still a little tight.

“I… I’m sorry, I just… thank you for the time you’ve given us already, for everything you’ve gifted, but I just… what you offered already, it- it had me thinking and I guess all I can really do is ask, so I just- o-oh, I’m sorry, please just… just a moment-” 

And Ana lets some gravity reclaim her and falls to her knees: partly because it just feels right, partly because her words are starting to build weight. Her hands gently come to clasp each other in a similar feeling. 

“If you… if you can, and I… suppose if she… wants to, if it would work like that, could you… could you bring Laika back to us..?” 

Ana’s clasped hands pull inward to just over that soft glow in her chest, clutching to each other tighter. It hardly does much to hide their trembling.

“Th-that’s my ask, I… I’m asking for Laika Toussaint.” Even in her wobbling, Ana speaks that name confidently: if any of theirs must be pressed into the cosmos here, she feels it should be that one. “The… the Baalatro who was with us earlier, she… sh-she was killed, and- oh, I’m sorry, I know you said it was against the rules, but all of this, it- it started with her..! She- she always said it was me, but it was her, all of this change, everything all of this was trying to do for the world, it… it started with her, so now we’re here, please, I… I’d like to ask for her back…”

She had managed to keep her wide eyed expression tilted upward to Hal’s face all throughout her plea, but finally Ana’s eyes sting and her head has to hang, verbal steps now faltering.

“Th… that’s all, I- I’ll help you and everyone with anything either way, and- if you can’t, then if… if you could just… t-tell me she’s okay, that’s…” 

Hal leans in closer and that soft mix of grief and joy laps over his palm just a little bit more. 

“I know who she is, little star…! She was named for me, did you know? Or, well she was but isn’t the one she picked just delightful and…! Oh, oh. Well, that’s really rather against the rules you see. I’m so sorry. When you go– you return back to the sky’s embrace and really drift into so much more– putting the shape back is–”

God’s divine rumble ceases for a moment. He leans in further still and in that prolonged pause his other hand drifts back from among the stars to gesture very carefully to the glow emanating from Ana’s chest. 

“Oh…! Her shape… Why, she doesn’t seem to have gone too far at all yet. So much of it remains here. I suppose– well, again, just the once, I can do that too. Just this once, I must stress. And I’d have to take a little of what she gave back to make it work, if that’s alright with you.”

Where understanding resignation had begun to slowly creep over Ana, that large careful gesture seems to flick it all away in an instant. A brilliant spike of joy pulls her back onto her feet and then some, hovering once again with the glow to her flaring just as much.

“You- you could? You would..! Oh..! Oh, my gosh, I- yes, of course, please take as much as you need, I- thank you so, so much-” 

And even if the action might be unnecessary, her clasped hands instinctively fold out into a cup, because how else could Ana possibly imagine giving such back to Laika? All of that possibility that Ana had always tried to tell the other was just as much for them as it was for everyone else, finally getting to make good on bringing Laika into its fold- whether her creator needs it or not, all Ana can imagine is it pouring forth as they tap back into the well of it Laika tore loose to give her. What if, what if, what if. All that chance to live on the other side of those pleas. 

“Alright then. I can do that. So long for now, my brave things. Go well. The world is yours.”

God’s finger briefly ghosts that gentle glow emanating from Ana’s chest, and then her open hands, and in that contact a thread loosens. The spark seems so small at first, but that spiraling gold does not take long to unravel out into the sky with haste. It hovers uncertain for a time.

Finally, the glittering scene around you begins to streak and blur once again. Hal’s ever-smiling face becomes smaller as his hand starts to lower you all, that celestial visage fading into a brilliant dot of blue and gold until it seems like nothing more than the streak of a star itself. No, it is- for where Hal had been follows another light, brighter than the surrounding stars and moving against their grain, arcing downwards after you all as though racing to catch up.  

Down and down you go, the colours of the night sky rocketing past until they blur into the warmth of a day just starting to break, before the roof of the tent folds over it once more- though the motion never causes any lurches in your stomach. His hand keeps you steady all the way and sees that the ground greets you gently, each of you carefully slid off onto the grass sitting or kneeling or whatever feels comfortable; still that guidance to rest now. 

It is with that same careful guidance that Hal’s retreating hand sweeps over the trio of angelic corpses and the bodies vanish from you as he does so. The last licks of fading tenderness and grief mix in the air as he goes; Hal loves all his children and perhaps he has done little right by his first. In death, Hiro and Faris return to his embrace among the heavens.

Laika returns to someone else’s.

Across the grass and in a kneeling Ana’s arms lay a figure clad in a loose white dress. Her hair is a bit longer than it had been in her final moments and a pair of ivory wings drape freely from her shoulderblades. Her sleeping expression is devoid of any makeup, putting the full image of her true, clownish appearance on display. 

She awakes with a gasp that jerks through her previously limp form like a bolt of lightning. Ragged breaths heave her chest up and down as her eyes dart wildly in an unspecific search. Slowly, her uncertain movements, not unlike a newborn lamb first finding its feet, steady. Laika’s fingers roll tightly in and then release themselves repeatedly as if to trace over that last ghostly feeling of Kioko’s and Jess’ hands against her own. Her eyes, slower now, search again and settle upon Ana’s face, distant and dazed. 

Something hot bubbles up in her throat. 

Don’t give them the satisfaction of seeing you flinch. 

There’s… no one to see it now, Laika can feel it. There is a peace she has never known rolling across the meadow; it settles over her quietly. 

Ana and her hold is patient too, or perhaps it’s just the situation taking its time settling with her as well. Her eyes also widen in search, though just across Laika’s face, the dream of it slowly starting to crack the surprise to her open mouth- until-

“Laika-!” 

All at once the name again bursts free from Ana, though this time it lifts in sheer joy. That supportive hold turns into a tight squeeze of a hug, her disbelief beginning to tumble loose as relieved giggles somewhere over Laika’s shoulder; some containing Laika’s name again, some a ‘thank you’. 

Laika’s chin is thrust somewhere over Ana’s shoulder in kind and it settles into that touch as that warm thing in her throat rises to her tongue, and then her eyes. A bright, disbelieving note that is one part laugh and one part sob rips free from her. Large, shining tears suddenly spill from her eyes with no sign of ever stopping and no fear of the wrong people seeing them. 

It settles. Ana’s glowing visage. Her gently drifting hair, her bright eyes, the warmth that radiates from her– it settles in. The meadow carries peace and it carries quiet. There’s time now, and somehow, she will have questions about that, but somehow, she’s also here to see it.

Laika’s grip strengthens to hold Ana in kind and that bright note grows so much louder.  

“You did it. You did it.”

[inhumanresourcesmkg]

hallowed be thy name

[♫♫♫]

The heavens move. 

Or, rather-- you are suddenly moving across the heavens. 

As if lifted from below by a hand on high.

The tent falls away as stars streak like passing comets all around you. The grass beneath your feet is gone but you do not plummet from the heavens as the oppressive angels had, but rocket higher and higher, feet remaining supported by what appears to be nothing at all.

“BRAVE THINGS, BRIGHT THINGS, AND A STAR.”

A deep, booming voice echoes through your head and heart. It is low but sweet, childish but ancient. It drifts with a slow lilt that cannot be hurried-- wandering, wondering, wishing. 

“SOME OF YOU HAVE CALLED ME A PAL,”

Your ascent ceases and all around you are the stars. Something grand and giant begins to glow beneath your stance, as does something leaning closer and closer, just before your eyes.

“BUT-- OH, AH,

Yes. Here we go. But you are free to call me Hal.”

God’s visage, composed of the moon and the sun and the stars, smiles down on you as his voice retreats to something far softer and sweeter still. A familiar feeling of melancholy and affection, the one that had poked and pulled you through your investigation as it peered over your shoulder, trying to understand, dances along the edges of your mind once more.

“It has been…. some time since I looked this way. It took me a minute to find you.”

While one hand cups you gently, another comes drifting in by the side, its movement slow and gradual. A single, looming digit extends, and gently brushes over a certain few of you: Bianca, Derek, Beau, Adrien, and Kioko. The touch is soft and kind; a warmth emanates from where contact is made across the top of your head. Somewhere in the back of your memory, a silly little song from a fortune telling machine twinkles distantly.

“My friends.” 

God-- Hallow-- Hal smiles. But he has been smiling and his visage, not unlike a mask, will continue to do so. And yet, he smiles. You know this to be true without having to dwell upon it. 

“...You’ve been through quite a trial. All of you.”

Again that sense of knowing flows over you: ‘you’ in his words is not limited to your numbers, but a scale far larger. 

“The world… it was meant for all of you, not for me. It was for you but-- oh. Me oh my. Oh, I’m so sorry. I should have been looking. I should not have drifted…”

The sad ache grows and retreats and grows again, like waves lapping at your feet. Hal shakes his grand head ever so slowly. 

“Thank you… those of you that have been answering my questions while I searched. I’ve found you again now. I have thought much of what you have said and shared, thank you. And I would like to say: I am sorry.”

The hand draws you a little bit closer to his face. 

“I am so very sorry, my brave and bright and beautiful friends, and not-at-all friends, and friends-to-be I have not yet asked. I am so sorry, and while it will do no good to leave you lingering in this space long, oh gosh, oh goodness, well-- I simply had to say that, and-- and offer you something, for your suffering.”

A tut. A dawdle. The lapping of love and grief, both innocent and ancient, persists. 

Hal fixates his attention on Ana. 

“What a wonderful, new little star…! My goodness, my gracious-- they could not ask for a better number. We will find the rest of them again, together. Yes, we will.”

Hal’s attention moves to the dead.

“Oh, how sorry I am. This is really rather against the rules, but since you are all here in one piece, and your souls were tended to so neatly-- it shouldn’t be difficult at all, just this once. I can only offer it just this once, you really must understand-- but should you like to be human again, instead of… angels, oh, I love that little word, I can do that for you this time. I offer it to you in apology, and in gratitude. Thank you for speaking with me. If it pleases you, I hope you will continue to do so. I hope you all will.”

Hal’s attention shifts to the living.

“And for each of you… my-- grant me a moment to look at each of you, will you? We haven’t gotten to speak and I just want to-- oh, you’re so wonderful! You’re so very marvelous and wonderful and just-- my beautiful, brave things! I can hardly believe-- I’m so glad you were finally able to hear me when I hope it counted. If you’ll permit me-- I’d like to gift something to each of you as well, for being so strong amongst all this, and since you don’t have anything to be undoing…!”

That soft yet giant touch reaches out once more, brushing a series of you one by one. 

The fingertip presses first against the top of Tegan’s golden mess of hair. Affection, gentle and warm, lingers around the contact. 

“Oh, you must feel you’ve grown so much, don’t you? I can see it-- how marvelous! How wonderful! I’m sure she’ll be so proud of you-- but don’t forget to be proud of yourself in turn. For you Tegan I offer a blessing of aim. It will always be true. Wherever you set your sights on-- trust the steps you wish to take forward, my dear thing. You will find yourself exactly where you wish to be.”

The touch moves to Ben’s hair where it gingerly nougies into the orange mop there and something akin to a laugh flickers through the stars. 

“Your toil my dear boy-- your dedication, oh my stars how your shoulders must ache! Do not doubt how much you’ve given even if you wish the mess of the work had always been your own. You’ve carried so much at those forks in the road. You’ve held so much for all of them, all of them. You’re marvelous, and for you Ben I offer the blessing of reach. There will always be another hand to hold should you need it or want it, and you will always be able to close that distance when needed. You carry them and they carry you-- you will carry each other.”

It’s Keith’s turn. Hal taps his hat with a little noise of delight-- should he get one of those?

“How do you say-- Hallow likey? Hal likey? That is a rather dashing look, dear Keith! I shall have to try it myself sometime soon, if I can finagle it with my rays but-- oh, that is hardly the matter at hand! For you, Goombit, I offer the blessing of laughter, as you have offered so many in kind. While life will not be without frowns and without tears, that next little laugh for you and yours will never be quite that difficult to find. And congratulations my boy! For the future.”

Hal’s gentle touch moves to he who is already a parent, and a long-waiting one at that.

“I am sorry for your parting to have lasted this long, Seung-jae. Your anguish passes to me as if it is my own and I grieve, but the distance should not be too much longer now. She is-- oh golly, she’s just lovely and what a beautiful name--! It is hardly the moment to laugh but I see her and it all simply sparkles-- oh, how much she loves you in turn! What a beautiful family the pair of you make. For you Seung-jae I offer the blessing of mundanity. Interesting times can be quite a curse, can they not? From here on out, for you and for her, there will be joy in the quiet and the little-- the grocery trips and the movie nights and the days out to the park. May you have it in abundance.”

The touch moves to poke at Inés’ cheek. 

“What a vision! What a wish! How boldly you remind me of the delight in everything of this world being cherished by someone or another! It was just wonderful and you really looked quite spectacular Inés I really must say-- what a showing! For you I offer the blessing of progression, or should I say locomotion! Ha! It is not so much that you will always get to where you wish to be, as I have no doubt of your ability to make that true by your own merit, but that obstacles will not be able to stand in your way. Close those gaps, dear Inés. Move not around or over mountains, but through them.”

Now it’s Aileen’s turn. Hal’s finger grazes her shoulder respectably. 

“...You are no stranger to sorrow, I know. So many would crumble if in your place-- it’s not fair, it never really is and saying that changes nothing but… oh, I admire your strength. I am sorry, Aileen. I grieve alongside you. I do. Thank you for persisting, even when you should not have to. For you I offer the blessing of respite. There is no call to cease in your forward motion for each step you wish to take, but in those moments you choose to rest, let them be peaceful for you and yours. Let the weight be more gentle, and ease in your hands. Let him be there, and you be with him.”

One more. Hal firmly pats the top of Liaoyi’s head a few times.

“And the songbird! Angry as you are placid. Is that such a crime? I cannot say and I would not if I did know-- that is for you to decide, dear thing! And it should be yours to decide. For you Liaoyi, I offer the blessing of freedom, not just from the strings that had bound you before, but for any that might have liked to try and knot around you in the future. Let your vision be your own, be it backed by ballads or death metal, ha!” 

Hal smiles; again you know this to be true despite his unchanging visage. His wandering hand now retreats once more into the stars while his other remains cupping you gently against the heavens. With a sound like a distant chorus, he tuts and hums. He lingers unsure along some unspoken words as joy and regret alike burst forth in your chests. His next words are all but a whisper, as much as an endless voice as infinite as the surroundings stars, housed within your very head, can be a whisper. 

“What brave things. I am so very sorry. They did what they thought best… The world is meant for you… I have been thinking… I have listened…”

More notes of that distant, song-like hum follow. Hal’s voice picks up in volume a little once more.

“...rest a moment, won’t you? It won’t do good to linger here-- I will set you back down in just a breath, but-- rest. While you are here, the pain will not grieve you. If you have anything to say, as friends or not-so, please, speak your mind. I will listen as I have. Should no words come, that too is welcome, but rest a moment my bright and wonderful things. I… Each of you deserves that much. Thank you. I thank you.”

[inhumanresourcesmkg]

when you wish upon a star

When you wish upon a--

When you wish upon a--

When you wish upon a--

It works. 

Whether spoken or declared or willed quietly to yourself, it works: your wish finds a way free and loose through the infinite madness this tent contains and surges to find its life. Even if your wish wasn’t for something right amongst this very moment or was meant for someone mercifully far away from this space, you know it works- for this time the magic of Ana’s that winds around you is giving rather than just collecting. Alongside whatever feeling of joy or desire stoked in your chest at the thought of your wish, a solid sense of certainty soon sparks into life and tends to it along with you. Maybe in your mind’s eye, just for a moment, you see what winds around Ana’s hands when your request comes to her: that golden thread of your wish being woven alongside all your personal colours, stretching through the infinite sky before dancing back to you and pouring into whatever you’ve manifest, or nestling itself alongside your life, your sibling’s, your child’s, your community’s, or just somewhere it needs to tip a scale. An unmistakable part of that life, waiting or working exactly where it needs to be.

Those threads weave their gossamer iridescence through the air and each new connection, each new sentiment, strikes like a storm of lightning and thunder and wind and rain all in one against the towering figures of would-be divinity. Their gnashing teeth and cackling maws never quite find purchase. Their eyes look and limbs reach, but each wish lands a blow first, sending illuminated splinters of stretching light to scar further and further across them. 

It is the taste of joy. For beasts so long starved, and who might have convinced themselves they were never really made for it, it burns.

It burns, oh it burns. Somewhere along the way, what you think was laughter, or righteous anger, becomes a scream. 

When you wish upon a star…

Makes no difference who you are-- all of your wishes land straight and true. Be they for far in the future or clasped in your hands now and struck against those beasts by your own powered hands, they land, they carry your joy and your care, they work. More and more, Hiro’s and Faris’ forms are fractured by splintering light as their wails take up all the space in the air around you. They flail and thrash as the light grows bigger and brighter, threatening to swallow you up as well--

But of course not. You’ve done it, together. 

Joy bursts forth and with it, so do two towering angels, symbols of all this world has come to be, pop. 

The light erupts and the angels split into pieces as the big top, with a wheeze, closes its infinite sky to them and settles back into the shape a big top should be.  

A few things plummet and land with dull thuds besides Laika’s already long gone cold corpse. A simple winged lion and fox. 

The tent has no reaction to offer, not even another wheeze. It simply remains calm, quiet. Cast in the now rather empty dark of night, save for the glittering decoration to the tent walls. Even those little stars seem subdued now, paler against even the now-flickering glow of one particular star still high above you all. 

It’s over. It’s quiet. There is no big celebration, no big fanfare around the angels lying there. It’s just- over.

Eventually, something stirs again. Around that star that still shines above your heads colour and sparkling dust begin to drift and swirl, as Ana finally pulls her focus back towards herself. Outwards from that light builds your former coworker in her not-so-human form; hair billowing out once more, soft cosmic colours spinning themselves tighter into a body, with legs stretching downwards to gently sink and seek closer ground to you all. 

And when one foot touches grass that has finally stilled from the frenzy of all of this, she stumbles. As if having already forgotten how to support even a weightless body, Ana's legs wobble and crumple, folding her onto her knees on the ground, shoulders slumping tiredly to match.

Though she’s smiling. Even as her head rings hollow with the gravity of all that she’s just spent her lifetime’s worth of energy on. Even as hours worth of tears finally, finally, find that the space is safe enough for them to spill.

“That was- you were amazing.” Her tears don’t stop, but they have to find their way around a smile stretched in sheer relief. “All of you were, thank you... thank you for trusting me, even just for this, for now. It’s done- all of it, it’s done- we’re... your wishes and... you’re safe, and...” 

But her words fumble over themselves as her gaze slides to where Laika still rests, then back to where Hiro and Faris had been bearing down before joining her, and a hiccup of a sob cuts her off. Her smile stays but wavers, flickers, almost self conscious or apologetic for being present at all.

A joy that grief holds carefully, sorrowfully. It’s over. So much is over.

It’s quiet. The world slows down. You are reminded both of what you have won, and what you have lost. 

It’s quiet. 

It’s over. 

What happens now?

…

“OH, THERE YOU ARE.”

[inhumanresourcesmkg]

same as ever, despite it all || aileen mcintosh ft. KAT

Life works in predictable patterns. There is logic behind every illogical thing that happens. It may sound like a complete paradox, but it’s true. There is no true randomness in the world; things happen, and people react to them, and the world reacts back.

That is, at least, how Rough Gem has always seen things. A leads to B, which leads to C and D, perhaps E should things really pick up. It’s simple, it’s easy, it’s practical. You may not be able to predict the future, but you can predict the outcomes, and that’s enough. Of course, sometimes, the least likely possibility ends up coming to pass. Your father dies. Your husband, too. These things are tragedies, but they’re hardly unprecedented.

This was, naturally, all uprooted the instant that she found herself in an office building where her manager told her to kill someone. It only went downhill from there.

Now, she lives in a world that she knows God is real and made clown-animals that are actually angels, and wishing stars are real, and people can be dead but not really, and it’s all really very confusing and quite a lot to take in, and she has decided that she will simply not care enough to think too deeply about it because, well…

What has changed, really?

The world worked like this before. It has always functioned like this. She just didn’t know it. This is still the same world. A will lead to B, which leads to C and D, perhaps even E.

God just might be a horse while it happens.

It doesn’t have much bearing on her reality.

What does have a bearing on her reality are the two beings attempting to kill her after she just spent several months attempting to stay alive during a literal killing game that they were running, and she really is quite tired of it at this point. The only thing they can do is wish for joy, is that right? That’s the solution?

She can understand the appeal of wishes. Who wouldn’t? Something magically coming true? There are hundreds of thousands of thousands of things that she could wish for. But does she truly want them? There is, after all, a difference between wishing and wanting–a nuance to be considered.

Some days, she would wish that she had just one last chance to say something to Dennis. She wishes she would have noticed his absence from the cafeteria. She wishes he would have called her. She wishes she would have called him. She wishes she could have run into him on his way out of the building. She wishes she could tell him just how much she loved him, just how much she truly could not care less if things grew financially difficult for them because having him around was better than any sort of stability.

Aileen McIntosh does not wish for that right now.

The dead are dead. This is something she has always said in this place. The dead are dead, and they cannot return. She will smile and be joyful for anyone here who finds solace in just one more moment with their lost loved ones, but she will not be among their number. She knows he understands. They have always understood each other.

Their story is done. He wrote the ending. She will mourn and find sorrow in it for the rest of her life, but she will not return to him now. No, now, instead, she finds herself surrounded by people in the moment that still have stories to tell.

A quick glance over to one of them reassures her of the fact that there is a time and a place for everything, and they will find time later for whatever words they may have for each other. Neither of them are public people; words can be exchanged when it’s just the two of them.

As for the others, she can see they have themselves well in hand. Every person here has always had their own strength, their own unbending will. She will not stand here and presume that they need guidance or support in these moments–her role as a steady voice is over. Now, she sees plenty of room for screaming and proclamations and vows of violence, whatever might bring them joy. That’s the point of this whole venture, isn’t it?

Out of the corner of her eye, she spots two figures she has kept her attention on this entire time, and one of them falls to his knees. It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it? Even for one of the strongest people she has ever met. But, as always when it comes to these two, she moves without thinking, without hesitation. She kneels beside Keith, shifting him so his arm slings over her shoulder, and she looks at him.

“Keith, now isn’t the time to rest. We can take as much time as we need after all of this has been settled and done, but right now, we have to focus.”

Others may have more traditional words of comfort, but bluntness and direction has always been her approach to soothing tensions. Her comfort comes in the form of paths forward, of promises to stay steady by his side however long he should want her there. Besides, the other figure on Keith’s side fills the gaps that she leaves–still just as goal-oriented, A to B to C, but complimentary to her own directives.

Keith Achilles and Tegan Rue are, without question, the reason why Aileen finds herself capable of standing here today. They have been here since the beginning. When she felt no desire to grow closer to any colleagues here–proven time and time again to be a poor idea that never ends well for anyone involved–they managed to convince her to try just one more time. And, against all odds, each time a tragedy could have befallen their little team, it did not.

They are all here. They have not quit. They have not retired. They have not transferred. They have not been promoted. They have not “stopped showing up.” They have remained at her side for the entirety of their stay here at Firmament.

Perhaps she would wish for the opportunity to stay with them even outside of this place if she was not so absolutely certain that there was no need for that. They would be here regardless.

No, as Keith gives them all one last rousing speech, one last bright burst of light that always manages to astound Aileen that one person can hold so much of it inside of them, she knows what she will wish for.

Every future vision she sees for herself? She would much rather make it with her own two hands. But here, in this moment, with something standing by her that feels so familiar in its unfamiliarity, she does not have the luxury of time. 

At her side, a large piece of equipment forms. It looks something like a cross between a gun and a cannon while simultaneously being dropped right out of any stereotypical sci-fi property. As it thunks onto the ground, she nods in satisfaction, hefting it onto her shoulder as she kneels down on the ground to line up a shot.

It’s simple, really. It’s just a matter of math, of angles, of velocity. And she feels more certain than ever that she can make this land.

In front of her looms two figures that could represent everything rotten in the corporate system. And what would bring her the most joy?

I wish that no wrongful death claim is ever denied ever again.

Because seeing companies squirm? Seeing them have to admit that people were people? That people were more than the numbers on their pages and ledgers? That would bring her more joy than she could possibly express. No one will suffer the way she and others here have. Not anymore. In the moments after a tragedy when all is lost and everything has broken, she can at least rest easy knowing that no one will experience the second wave of grief that she did.

Each family from now on will be given what they are owed. There won’t be any dodging of responsibility anymore. 

With this settling her racing heart, she sits here on the ground in a rather undignified heap with the first people in years and years she has ever dared to call her friends, and she, for the first time in months, breathes.

[inhumanresourcesmkg]

i see no tragedy || ???

So, if we can create enough joy in here–

Of course, as ever, there’s a problem with that when it comes to Fio. One that had been at the root of his disagreements with Ana: that Fio does not consider himself a person. And further than that, a consequence or in his eyes a cause of it: 

Fio does not believe he’s ever felt joy. 

[♪♪♪]

Not really, at least. He has things he enjoys, he knows what happiness is, obviously. He can fake joy with no issue. But if it’s going to be some great force that’s meant to defeat evil or whatever, he’ll fall short. True, pure joy with no strings attached is foreign to him. His emotional capacity doesn’t stretch that far.

When his gambit to get himself into Firmament succeeded, he didn’t feel joy, only a bitter satisfaction at his apparent safety. 

When playing poker with Ben, he hadn’t felt joy, only the strange sensation that he finally understood why it was worth having a friend. When Melody had gotten over her fear of him, he hadn’t felt joy, just a mild relief that they could have conversations about aspects of his life that he feels others find difficult to understand. When he had formed his strange relationship with Gem, he hadn’t felt joy, only a realization that it was nice that she actually did seem to value his opinions. When Beau had helped him pick a birthday, he hadn’t felt joy, but a not-entirely-uncomfortable draw to an identity he lacked. When Keith regales him with a list of all the things he’s going to be doing once they get out of here, he still doesn’t feel joy. Only a startling warmth as he is hugged for the first time without the sheepskin disguise of another, realer person in the way.

(All of these things bring him closer to the real thing than his previous most joyful moment, which he does not recall: the night when Livio Conti escaped his family’s home on his 18th birthday, earning himself a peaceful, paranoid several years before he would be found again.)

But, of course– to get out of here, he must make himself happy. The power of joy and whimsy is what’s going to do it in the end, instead of what he would prefer, which is the power of a gun. Fine. If he has to do it to live again, which has been his only goal, he’ll do it. 

It’s not like it’s hard to think about what he wants. He’s already been doing it. 

Any happiness Fio feels will continue to be cut by fear. He fears the future ahead of him as much as he wants it. People know him (him, not Fio) now, which is the scariest thing he can imagine. He has lived every moment of his short half-life afraid, and it’s only gotten worse since he made friends. Then he realized what it was like to fear being hurt by another person in a different way– not killed, but betrayed. And not just betrayed in a traitorous turn like his own, but by letting him down, leaving him without any of his tethers to his personhood, all formed through others. By one of them being killed. He feared the loss of another person for the first time, even as those relationships made him really, nearly, actually happy for the first time. 

And yet, here they are. He’s the one who needs to live again, and then…

He’ll still be afraid, won’t he? He always will be. There’s no future for him in which he doesn’t spend years looking over his shoulder again and again for a threat that isn’t there. And that’s on top of needing to figure out who he even is. 

He can’t wish to just be a person. He doesn’t know what that means, and it would be a bitter reminder of the wish Ana had already taken from him. 

He can’t wish to know what it’s like to feel joy. He may be a cheat, but he doesn’t want to experience it from this. From them.

He can’t wish to never be afraid again. Without that, he fears he would have nothing– it would ruin whatever patchwork of a personality he’s already formed, and he’s… well, committed to it now, and that’s scary, too. Always, always, always afraid…

…Ah, but. Back to what he wants. It’s simple. 

All he wants is to be able to try to live life for the first time as himself, 

Whatever that means. Whatever his promises to others have been worth, coming from someone like him. Whatever shambling excuse for a person he is, he just wants to live.

And to wish for that—

As himself will never be possible as long as he must always be running. Though he can’t wish to never be afraid again, he can eliminate the thing he fears most.

He has not moved, since being released from the hug. But now his head lowers, his eyes closing. His hands twitch, resisting the urge to fold as if in prayer. And he thinks:

I wish to be forgotten by everyone who knew me before this.

Here’s the truth: he will not believe this wish has come true for years. He will continue looking over his shoulder and will fear stepping into Italy without disguising his looks, but

(A man in Siena forgets the boyfriend who had disappeared from his life after months of a happy relationship.)

(An old couple in Verona forgets the kind young man who had helped run their antique shop years ago, who had gone missing after they had asked if he wanted to spend Christmas with them.)

(A nurse in a Milanese hospital forgets about a patient he’d had fourteen years ago, who vanished from under his care along with his wallet.)

(Fio Agosti, recovering in Rome, forgets the waiter who had brought him his plate while out with coworkers.)

(The disagreeable twin heirs to the Conti’s branch of Società del Castello forget that they once had an older brother who tried to repair their relationship, a fact incongruous with the traitorous picture their father paints of him.)

(Claudio Conti, sipping wine in his home in Palermo, forgets his greatest failure: his cowardly son, who had escaped his grasp for fourteen years and taken a chunk of Claudio’s pride with him.)

(And Livio Conti, staring miserably out of a burnt photograph hidden in one of the rooms in the basement, ceases to exist.)

but one day he may be able to stop. And by then, maybe he’ll be someone else. Maybe he’ll have a job he likes, or maybe he won’t and he’ll still be skipping around. Maybe he’ll still have his friends and they’ll know who he is despite that. Maybe he’ll be happy. Maybe he’ll be the last person he’ll ever be. Imagine that. 

(He has spent an embarrassing amount of time considering the fake ID in his pocket, which reads Livio Vitale. See, it’s funny, because Vitale means ‘life’.)

He has no grand, shitheaded proclamation for the beings who have trapped them here, as much as he loves the sound of his own voice. They occupy barely any space in his mind, as pointless and boring to him as anyone who fails to draw his interest. They will die. So what? He will live. Nothing else matters.

He doesn’t even have the thing that was asked for to defeat them. After all, he doesn’t believe he’s ever felt joy. But he has hope that one day he might, and that should do just fine.

[inhumanresourcesmkg]

Right Now, I'm Already Happy || Jess

Jess wonders if they perform better under stress than without it. And by all means, in a vacuum this situation is plenty stressful. More than your average person would encounter in a year for sure! But more than anything right now, the despair that’s been purged from their body leaves them feeling too light– like time is moving slower. They don’t find a sudden epiphany. They just… have to think.

[♫]

That’s something they’re good at, at least. They’ve been lucky enough in life to be afforded many things others would dream of. A college education, stable income between jobs, four walls (or many more) and a roof over their head. In their mind, though, this doesn’t exactly pass through as an idea so much as a concept. Something they already know they don’t need to ask for. 

There are wishes they’ve made in the past they have no need for any longer, too. Slightly more at the foreground of their mind, Jess thinks back to that moment before they died. Wanting to keep fighting despite the life being sucked out of their body wasn’t something they would have articulated until the moment called for it. It had even left them for a while. It was only through the others here that they were able to accept that desire again.

In other words, another gift. Something they don’t need to wish for anymore.

What else...

There are more selfish, indulgent wishes they could make. A wish is a wish, whatever the source, but they have this instinctive feeling that they don’t want to waste something like this on a personal whimsy. Bringing back Crystal Pepsi would inevitably lead to its downfall somewhere in the future. And there’s certainly no need to wish for Bigfoot to be real when they know that’s already the case. Paws, as much as they would love them, would make building machines doubtlessly difficult. They can think of something slightly more meaningful, still. 

Because, of course, Jess doesn’t really need anything else in their life. What have they been denied that hasn’t been given back tenfold by now? Though…

They have lost some things. In the deeper corners of their mind they know there are still conversations they’ve wanted to hold with their dad. Questions that they’ve answered in some simulated delusion over and over, trying to force the shadow of him to appear from their memory. But the vision grows blurrier day by day. Not only can they make these fantasies appear less and less, but they almost begin to feel some… aversion to them, they think? Like they’ve escaped the riptide, and can see the depth of the ocean for all its dangers out here on the shore. 

They don’t need those anymore, either. And they know what he’d want would be for them to be able to live without them, too. Leave his legacy uncorrupted by what was left unfinished. Embrace the memories that were real.

So Jess blinks up at the whirling chaos about to come crashing down feeling the hesitation washed from their body. A wish… they don’t have one for themself. They have enough. But they know they want to appreciate more what they already have.

… They did say to Laika before… 

Yeah. What would make them happiest right now is putting in the effort to care. No scoffing, no embarrassed taking-back of sentiments. They’ll give their wish to their mother. The one who encouraged them to apply here at the start of this.

But what would she want? Does it matter? 

…

They have to pick something. They can’t sit here thinking forever.

A hand presses to their heart, and they say the words in their head. Little does Jess know the New York Yankees have already won the 1999 world series. They don't have enough sportball knowhow to have made any kind of prediction earlier in the summer.

But even if nothing changes, because they already have everything they could ever want-

It makes them happy right now to have made an effort for her.

[inhumanresourcesmkg]

Hermes | Adrien | mm.8 / Wish

He could run, like what he’s always done.

Staring down the wicked face of divinity, Adrien is reminded that he didn’t ask for any of this. 

He didn’t come into Firmament looking to die. He didn’t ask to be a part of a revenge scheme that’s centuries in the waiting, saddled with a responsibility that’s bigger than he could’ve possibly ever imagined.

But, it all happened anyway—just like the many other things he never had a say in; a shattered ankle, a sibling turned murderer, a halo and a pair of wings, a keychain, a wish.

A ‘victim of fate’, some would say. 

‘Unlucky’, Adrien would’ve preferred.

“What life is there for an angel to live?” 

He had asked █████ ,

but where there was once someone who was able to give him an answer, 

there is only silence.

…

He can wish for his ankle to heal, so he can start running again.

Better yet, he can wish that his feet would sprout wings, and they would take him farther than he’s ever been—over highways and skyscrapers, across meadows and open fields, until the land disappears beneath him completely, and he’s reached the ocean—farther, and farther until he’s going, going, gone—

Away from all the mess. 

Away from all the things that would hurt.

And then, he’d be happy.

And then, 

And then…

Adrien feels an arm reaching across his shoulder.

[♫♫♫ - Loreley]

Keith appears at his side. When did he get there? He stretches an arm around him, wearing the same smile that he’s always worn around him, as if he were looking at something precious.

“Can I tell you somethin’, Adrien?”

“… I’m the least scared I’ve ever been right now. But I’m still scared. And you are too, yeah?”

Adrien looks at him a bit shaken, like he’s coming out of a trance.

“Y…Yeah.”

Scared. Yes, he is very, very, scared.

Of course, Keith already knows that, right? Somehow, he always knows. He’s long stopped calling him a superman by this point, but there’s a part of him that’s not completely convinced that he doesn’t have any super powers at all with how easily he reads him.

But strangely, he doesn’t feel the slimy urge to withdraw like he thought he would. Instead, he finds relief in its place. 

Keith turns him gently, resting his hands on his shoulders so he can look at him in the eyes.

“Well lemme tell you another thing–

We did it.

We’re scared, and we’re uncertain of what’s comin’ next besides the most important thing, which is that we made it, lil’ bro. No matter your wish, you and I are gettin’ out of here. Together. Whatever life you wanna live from now on, you know that I’m gonna be there every single step of the way.

And I want you to know… there’s nothing to fear. Not this time. Not anymore. Whatever your wish, I know it’s amazing. Because, well– that’s you in a word. Amazing.”

A heavy feeling sits in his throat. Well, it’s more of many feelings at once. Love, and Gratitude, mostly. Guilt, as well.

If he knew what he almost wished for, would he still be saying the same things?

But, as much as Keith knows him, Adrien knows Keith as well. He’d be sad about it, and he’d ask him to reconsider, but he’d never force him to change. He won’t stop loving him, because he’s made yet another selfish decision. And, oh, doesn’t that say something about the amount of trust he has in him? That he doesn’t ever doubt the love he has for him.

(And doesn’t it remind him of someone who’s also been waiting for him all this time? Someone who still loves him, even after he’s hurt them?)

“If I’m amazing, that’s only because I learn from the best.”

He smiles with tears in his eyes, because it’s true. Even now he’s still learning so much from him.

Keith looks taken aback, but then he laughs, 

“… you really are my Achilles’ heel, y’know that? Ba-dum, tss!”

He pulls him into a hug, and Adrien leans into his shoulder.

“Thank you. Thank you, for bein’ my hope. 

I love you, lil’ bro.”

Keith is already back on his feet before he could even say the words back. But that’s fine, he’s sure he’s heard them anyway. He runs off with a wink, yelling about Greek food and an Achilles family gathering, and Adrien is left alone with his thoughts again, but somehow they don’t feel as frantic as they were before.

He could run, like what he’s always done.

But if he runs to escape every bad thing that’s happened to him, wouldn’t he also be running from the good things as well?

If he runs,

(He wouldn’t be able to go to art galleries, or zoos, or aquariums, or other mundane places,

or have sports-offs and claim that the game’s rigged when he starts to lose.

He wouldn’t be able to break bottles, or sit in fancy cafes, and drink only cherry coke,

or teach people how to ice skate, or swing a baseball bat.

He wouldn’t be able to sit in an auditorium and binge on Nic Cage movies, 

or poke fun during a ‘dinner date’ over hibachi,

or bark at people and play the part of a halfling prince, 

or win stuffed toys from carnival games,

or have heart-to-hearts on rooftops, and dream about all the things they would do if they could fly.)

And if he runs, 

(He wouldn’t be able to throw toilet paper over chandeliers,

or watch ghost busters, or fail at skipping stones,

or wear clown make-up and be a handsome clown, or be a trickshot master at the pool table.

He wouldn’t be able to see castles get built out of cards,

or plan not-office potluck parties, or treat people to fancy meals,

or pretend to heckle and get dunked in a dunk tank,

He wouldn’t be able to cook delicious food for others, and sneak ketchup packets out of the kitchen,

or build rollercoasters, or smash fruit, or get bonks on the head,

or eat grass, and share animal stories, and talk about anything under the sun,

or dress up for halloween parties, and sing karaoke until your throat gets hoarse.) 

Where does he run to?

(In one of the smaller cities near the outskirts of Nevada, dinner is being set. Although only two people live in the home, a third plate is set on the table.

Just in case.) 

…

There are many things Adrien didn’t ask for, 

but he finds that he couldn’t live without any of them. 

So, if Adrien were to run again, he hopes it’s always towards something and not away from it. 

He wishes it’s to a wonderful dream, something big enough for him to follow, so he may never get lost again. 

And when he finally reaches it, 

he’ll always remember to run back,

to those who wait for him,

to those who love him,

back at home.

Safe. 

[inhumanresourcesmkg]

BUT THE FUTURE FINALLY CHANGED, I.; or, Keith Achilles Finds The Reason

Ana kneels by him and works her magic and he watches. Watches as his wish goes from his lips to her everything. Those golden strands, with traces of blue and bronze… is that from him? Is he really capable of producing something this splendid? His lips part in a gentle sort of shock until Ana gently takes hold of him, and he feels himself starting to calm ever so slightly. She has this effect on him.

“Now, you listen to me, Keith Achilles, okay..? You’ve- you’ve really done more for me than you ever know, I meant it, so I- I need you to hear-” 

And Keith Achilles hears all that he needs to hear. 

She shares his wish, another one he gives her that she reassures him there is no need to grant– except this time he understands the gravity of that statement. She clarifies some of the things she’d mentioned about her past, even though it would’ve been okay if she didn’t– he wouldn’t have been upset. And then she tells him all he needs to know which is that she wants to stay and she will fight to stay and

and it’s because of him?

His eyes widen in surprise, confusion almost– because how could he of all people convince her to defy the gods themselves in this way without even knowing it? But he knows how. He knows it because she has told him so many times in so many ways just what he means to her, and now he can no longer deny it. Because it would’ve been okay, too, if she wanted to stay just for the whole wide world. But she wants to stay for him. To be with him.

… he has no idea how to process it. How can he? This almost feels like the biggest revelation he’s had in the past few hours, somehow. But somehow, he really does smile at her. And he nods, both in understanding and to tell her that it’s okay– she can go now, go talk to the rest of them who he has no doubt are concerned about things of a far bigger scale, yet he will not regret this being the most important thing of all to him. 

And she helps him to his feet, and he hugs her with an instinctual fear that even though she wants to stay what if she can’t and this is the last time? But he lets her go, and when she kisses his forehead so gently he finds the strength to stay on his feet. One last little teary-eyed smile just for her, and a hand over his heart. Then, now standing though still hovering near the corner, he watches as everything else happens. He doesn’t have too many thoughts about any of it. His most pressing concern has been discussed, and everything else is what it is. It’ll all fall into place, and he will do his part to make it so even if he cannot imagine himself being instrumental.

Except, then– he… is?

He has to have joy. And it’s funny, isn’t it– more than a few people here saw him as the most joyous person around, at the start of all of this. Yet he still struggles to believe that he’s capable of generating the joy needed to pull this off, the joy needed to save the entire goddamn world apparently– because hasn’t he changed? Is he still really the person he once was? Can he still be well and truly happy without an asterisk? 

As he starts to lose himself in all this muck… Ana looks at him, and he knows that look in her eyes. He knows that what she’s about to say is so unbelievably difficult for her, because he knows her and he knows what comes next. Then she speaks, and it’s exactly as he thought.

~So. … if I had a wish right now. … I’d bring him back. But… if I couldn’t do that. I’d just… wanna talk to him, until he felt… at peace. That I’d never let his sister get hurt, and… that even if he’s gone. Our kid’s still gonna know he would’ve been the best uncle in the whole wide world. … that’s my wish.~

Of course she tried to find Asher and pull him back down from the stars, and of course she now tries to offer him something for her efforts. Because she could grant him that wish, now that he knows he doesn’t have to use his own for her to stay. 

“They’re across the stars already…”

… and Keith smiles at her. He looks her right in the eye, and he smiles– no, he beams at her. His expression is filled with so much pride, so much gratitude, so much love. And this is because–

“It’s yours now..!”

Because–

He made it.

They all made it, except for Laika.

And it’s thanks to Ana. Well, to both of them, of course, but for Keith– thanks, most of all, to her. To Ana. Because she helped him get to this point alive.

He remembers it, suddenly– the countless amount of times he’d said anything along the lines of when we get out of here. Now, every plan he’d made, every vision of the future he had, every moment he looked forward to sharing with so many people here– it could finally all come true. He was right. He was right! Because even though it was so so so difficult to remain the optimist he is at his core all the way until the end– he still did it.

It hits him. 

Of course he’s the same person as he’s always been.

He’s just… got more going on, now! And he’s come to terms with so many things he’d been running away from. But as he thinks about all those promises of the future, he realizes that it isn’t a one-way street. People want to share in whatever comes next with him. Because people– his friends here his family here– they care about him. Him, all of impulsive and hypocritical him. Him, who they’d all seen at his absolute worst and yet almost everyone chose to stay by his side.

He has changed, but he has changed for the better. And this is just the first step in a lifelong journey of accepting himself and maybe even appreciating himself, but it’s one hell of a step now isn’t it?

Yet some things never change, because as this realization washes over him… his first instinct isn’t to start thinking over his wish or anything like that. He reaches into his pocket, and slowly pulls out one particular photo. The one he’d taken at his party, and recently did a whole comedy routine about getting wrapped in plastic. He looks at it, takes it all in, then slips it back into his pocket. 

Some things never change, and that’s why his thoughts immediately drift to those he loves.

It’s time to give back all that’s been given to him by those gathered here.

It’s time for him to be a good friend, and a good brother, and a good goofball.

It’s time for him to find his reason.

Whoa

whoa

whoa.

Lemme get this straight.

You’re telling me… it’s up to us to work together and save the whole goddamn freaking world through joy, and we can do awesome crazy shit while we do it!?

… ohhh yes…

Ahhuhuh…

And then… that look of surprise shifts into what it really is. He smiles so unbelievably cheekily, that shitty grin he gives when he knows he’s about to say something stupid. It’s the return of a look that’s become quite rare over the past couple of months– but perhaps you get the feeling it’s back and it’s here to stay, unfortunately for everyone, because he proceeds to loudly and excitedly exclaim…

JUGGLY LIKEY!

He excitedly jumps up as he pumps his fist in the air, laughing a familiar stupid-ass laugh before he rolls his shoulders back with a quick clap of his hands. A rush of a breath, then he declares–

Alright, alright, here we fuckin’ go, baby!!!

Time to dunk these bozos straight into the trash, yaknowhatI’msayin’?! And don’t you worry, I, Keith Achilles, also known as Goombit by many of his friends because that was his name given to him by his lil’ bro who thought it sounded funny back when he was the king of the freakin’ arcade in his hometown–

A deep breath before this verbal train continues.

who is famous for his dunking skills and basketball prowess, am here to help!!!

Then he snaps his fingers, looks down at his shoes…

But they aren’t his shoes anymore.

They’re the shoes of SONIC THE HEDGEHOG.

Ohoho!!! A most devious addition!!!

And he giggles so excitedly, bouncing up and down with glee because HE’S ABOUT TO BE THE FREAKIN’ BLUE BLUR!!! This isn’t his actual wish, of course– just a teeny-tiny request to sweeten the deal. He’s gonna need the speed, after all. He’s got some important work to do–

And that work begins exactly as you might expect and fear, as Keith “Goombit” Achilles bolts over at Sonic speeds to his bag, whips out his Thinking Cap (his new one, of course– Derek has the older one, and always will) and makes sure it’s nice and snug on his big ol’ head before–

GOTTA GO FAST!!!

[ ♪ ♪ ♪ ]

A phone call, one he made the night before he was imprisoned here. Here’s how it ended.

–Hey, nanay? –Yeah, anak? –I want you to know that even with this new job, I’m… I’m still gonna do it. Whether it’s makin’ my game or just… somethin’ else, somehow, I… I’m still gonna leave the world a lil’ better than how I found it. Like how you taught me. –I know you will! Too damn stubborn not to. You get it from me, y’know. –I know! Alright, well, I… I’ll call you next week. I love you, nanay. –And I love you, Keith…

Now go kick some elitist office-worker ass!-

And here’s how the rest of his life begins!

First, he runs over to Kioko – and by run, it must be clarified that he zips over to her so quickly one might almost think he’s teleporting if not for the blue trail of light he leaves behind in his haste. He reaches her and he gently takes hold of her shoulders, smiling from ear to ear.

Agent Busker, it’s time we finish the fight!

“I-I’m here, Agent Juggler! Ready!”

Lemme tell you a few things that are gonna come true no matter what you wish for. We’re gettin’ out of here, us and Agent Pluto, and we’re gonna sneak into the planetarium and we’re gonna tell Bianca’s parents all sorts of stories and we’re gonna go to my favorite burger place in the whole world!

”Yeah… Hell yeah we are!”

But then something in her expression shifts, and he immediately feels himself being gripped by a deep concern. Always, with Kioko– but especially so right now as she’s on the cusp of finally finding the happiness she deserves. He can’t let her fall, not again.

”I-Is it okay? Is it okay if I, i-if I… ask to see her one last time?”

She doesn’t need to say the name. Of course he knows who it is. Tears start to well up, but he forces them back down. That’s for later.

”I-It feels too much, t-too selfish, t-to think that we’re gonna have all this, a-and save everyone here, a-and get outta here, a-and yet…

A-And yet the thing I want the most right now, the thing I don’t think I’ll ever get another chance to do, i-it’s… Y-You know…”

There’s no hesitation when he reaches for her hands and holds them tight. He looks her right in the eyes – oh, how he missed the fire in them – as his own gleam with so much pride, all for her.

… y’know what, Kioko? I think that’s a fantastic idea. I think… I think that you should do it, and after you do, you gotta tell me all about it. Because– because it ain’t selfish, ain’t nothin’ like that. It’s yours. And you’ve taught me what it really means to be selfless.

Just… do me one favor, capiche?

And then he pulls her into his arms, hugging her close. There’s an instinctual fear, still, that this might be the last time– and he has to remind himself that, no. There’s so many hugs left to give her.

You let her know that she doesn’t need to worry. Your brother has his eye on you, now, and he’s here to stay. 

”I-I will. I’ll tell her everything, about all of you, about how we’re gonna avenge her, how we’re gonna make this right, and how we’re gonna live, a-and-”

And how she can rest easy now. ‘Cause I got you.

And– I never want you to forget–

I love you, sis.

”I love you too, bro…”

And with one last little squeeze, he pulls away to give her a goofy grin before he bolts over to–

Adrien. He appears by the younger man’s side in a flash, his arm going around Adrien’s shoulder as he looks at him with a smile.

Can I tell you somethin’, Adrien?

… I’m the least scared I’ve ever been right now. But I’m still scared. And you are too, yeah?

Adrien looks at Keith a little shaken, his eyes wide like coming out of a trance.

“Y…Yeah.”

He turns himself – and the other, gently – some so that he can look Adrien right in the eyes as he rests his hands on the others shoulders.

Well lemme tell you another thing–

We did it.

We’re scared, and we’re uncertain of what’s comin’ next besides the most important thing, which is that we made it, lil’ bro. No matter your wish, you and I are gettin’ out of here. Together. Whatever life you wanna live from now on, you know that I’m gonna be there every single step of the way.

And I want you to know… there’s nothing to fear. Not this time. Not anymore. Whatever your wish, I know it’s amazing. Because, well– that’s you in a word. Amazing. 

Adrien’s eyes widen. He struggles for a moment, his lips tremble like he’s about to cry, but then it all comes together, and a big smile forms on his face.

“If I’m amazing, that’s only because I learn from the best.”

The words land right where they need to, and he has to take a moment to keep his composure. A gentle laugh, not because anything’s especially funny but because sometimes that’s all your body knows how to do when you are beholding something as beautiful as Adrien, his–

… you really are my Achilles’ heel, y’know that? Ba-dum, tss!

And he pulls Adrien into a hug, one hand running through the younger man’s hand before he pulls back to say–

Thank you. Thank you, for bein’ my hope. 

I love you, lil’ bro.

Then he’s back on his feet, and he points at Adrien with a wink and a big grin–

And you better be ready to whip up somethin’ cool and Greek as hell for your first Achilles’ family gathering!

Suddenly, he’s with Derek. And for old times’ sake, he pops out from behind the other; a silly little prank he’d played before, and will inevitably play again throughout the rest of their lives together.

We made it, Stunnah!!!

Then he excitedly puts his hand out– and when Derek clasps it with his own, Keith pulls him into the best brohug yet.

Whatever your wish, you know what you ain’t gotta wish for? The roadtrips we’re goin’ on, the rollercoasters we’re goin’ on, the waves we’re goin’ on, man. Like, literally, ‘cause you know I’ve been mentally bracing myself for those surfing lessons ever since we talked about ‘em, yeah?!

“That’s awesome to hear, bro.” Derek replies through some happy tears of his own. “I’m really proud of you. We’ve gotten this far, and we’re gonna keep trucking, and that vision’s gonna be a little clearer. And I can’t wait for that to happen. Keep being you, and keep seeing that vision, and it’s gonna be great.

I’m not losing that idea of sticking together and taking the world by storm, believe me. We’re gonna make that happen. Bros for life. No matter how tough things get or what kinda physical distance ends up happening.”

Together, through thick and thin. Just like we said. And… I want you to know, it’s… it’s thanks to you that I’m finally realizin’ what you said to me, about what you hope I’m able to see one day.

It’s just me.

… but there ain’t no Keith Achilles without Derek Archer, simple as that. You’re my brother, man, for life.

A hand goes to the puka shells that adorn his neck, and as he looks the other man in the eyes – man, how he missed those eyes – he finds himself tearing up… but in a good way! A goddamn good way!

And I love you.

Another brohug for the road–

And then he finds his way to Ms. Bus, and he stands by her with eyes full of admiration because wow, fuck, goddamn… she is really so fucking awesome. At the same time… she really is sweet, so even if he thinks she certainly doesn’t need his words of support to do whatever badass shit she’s gonna do… he thinks, maybe, she’ll still appreciate them. 

Ms. Bus, we’re gettin’ outta here and you’re gonna have the most insane stories to tell your beautiful girlfriend and I am so freaking excited to see the two of you together ‘cause I know you’re gonna be an absolutely stunning couple and yeah, uh– uh, thanks for puttin’ up with all my shenanigans! And! And lemme know if you wanna hang out more after we leave here we could go to the gym or go to another festival or somethin’, uh–

He gives her the most powerful thumbs up he can muster!

Then, believe it or not, despite it all–

Of course he still winds up next to Yui one more time, kneeling before her as he might’ve back when he was her humble, oafish Jugglypoo. Even though things are different now, he’s already accepted her back into his life, and he thinks maybe this’ll just be the first step towards the two of them doing cartoonish nonsense once again.

Ahem-hem! Yui Aoyama, I, your humble but totally human clown, am here to say… that no matter what your wish might be… I’m proud of you, and how far you’ve come, and thanks from the bottom of my heart for keepin’ my goofy ass around, bossgirl.

Then he bows his head… and rather than feeling a bop or a smack of some sort, he realizes she’s ruffling his hair!? Which… alright, it gets a big smile out of him. 

“Well, some clown crimes can be forgiven. Despite our ups and downs, you’re not too bad yourself, Scruffykins!”

Ahuh! I’ll take it! And you better introduce me to that brother of yours A-S-A-P, bossgirl!

He’s gone in a flash, and next up is…

M’lord!

He’s kneeling again, of course, and he looks up at the other with a big ol’ goofy grin.

Your loyal knight is here to remind you of his undying and unconditional support for thee and your wish!

He rises to his feet, then, and after a moment pulls Jess into a hug.

Jess… we’re goin’ home.

He pulls back, looking at them with so much fondness in his eyes.

And I know it was… almost impossible for you to keep believin’ this day was gonna come. But you still made it! You’re here with us, with me even after all the stumblin’ I’ve done– and I’m… I’m so grateful, Jess. For you, and your patience and your kindness… and for how fuckin’ funny and awesome you are!

So I want you to know– I’m gonna be stayin’ by your side for as long as you’ll have me. I mean, c’mon! We got fan conventions to attend in full Lord of the Rings cosplays, we got doohickeys and gadgets at your place I want you to show me, and I gotta prove to you once and for all that I really did earn all those high scores at my arcade!

I love ya, Jess! ‘Til our next quest!

Where to next? Oh, well, it has to be his one and only most beloved and cherished rival, right? With an eager grin, he dashes towards DNA and stands before the other man with his arms crossed and his legs in a wide power-stance.

Well, well, well. So, Ben Pusher, it has come to this… our final meeting in this accursed battlefield of Firmament Industries… and I suppose there is only one thing for us to do…

Glomp! He suddenly pulls Ben into a big hug!

Hug me, brotha!!! We made it!!! Oh and also do ya love the new kicks my man you’re the one guy who I need to see ‘em–

He playfully bops the other man on the shoulder!

Ben’s got little time to react, really- Mostly from the shock of the fucking soap shoes his friend’s got, but also the sheer joy, so his laughter is mostly all Juggler gets before the bop- although he does chuckle a little. 

"What, should I be getting my hair dyed black and red or something…? Aaah, man.”

Wait– you’d actually look fuckin’ rad like that– okay WELL, Ben, lemme tell ya somethin’. I couldn’t have asked for a better rival, or a better friend. You’ve really kept me afloat, y’know that? Guys like us, who are so stubborn, so protective, and are always tryin’, whether we succeed or not… well, in a place like this– we need each other. Thank you for always makin’ me feel seen, not just for my good and easy parts, but for my uglier parts too. 

“Now you’re just giving me more credit than what’s worth, I think… But you know, the greatest wish I can fulfill for you- just me, not Ana- is that I just sigh, suck it up and accept it without fighting back.”

 Hand on his hips, long sigh.  … Ben can accept he lost.  Doesn’t feel too bad, though.

Somewhere a cosmic game’s tally is being kept, and it strikes to 0-2.

And I just wantcha to know– here’s some things I can tell you are happenin’ whether you wish for ‘em or not, ‘cause you’re stuck with me! 

I’m gonna teach you how to throw a rager of a party, and then we’re gonna march up to SEGA and tell ‘em how to fix the Sonic comics, we’re gonna speedrun DOOM and see who can get it done fastest, and of course… I’m gonna be bringin’ Rhiannon and Juggler Jr. along when I finally get to meet some of your siblings!

There’s a sparkle in his eyes as he looks at the other man with so much excitement and so much warmth.

I love ya, Ben! See ya on the other side, rival!

His eyes land on Ryan, and in a blip he’s over by her side. He rests his hand on her shoulder, looking down at the smaller woman with a warm, fond smile on his face.

Ryan! We did it! We’re goin’ home!

He excitedly bounces up and down!

And, man– I’ve got so much to show you!

I wanna take you to the art barn, to Rhiannon’s art barn– you can draw all the stuff you want, and the kids are gonna love you! Oh, and I gotta bring you and Ben to my old stomping grounds, that arcade I told you about– I think you got some gamer in ya!

“I want to go!” Ryan says joyfully, tearfully. “I want to see, I want – I want to meet Rhiannon!” (Anyone Keith would love so much had to be someone worth knowing.) “I want to play more games! I want to be your friend for a long, long time, Keith.”

He gently holds her arms, then, looking into her eyes as he speaks with absolute certainty.

… and somethin’ you never gotta wish for– ’don’t gotta wish to change a damn thing about yourself. You’re perfect as is, Ryan. Always have been. And I’m honored to call someone as brave as you my friend. 

I love ya, don’t forget it. See ya soon! Mrrow!

He makes little cat claws with his fingers to drive the point home, then–

Oh uhh no not there yeah nah. He has to stop himself from zipping on over to Armando in his haste. It’s not necessarily out of distaste for the older man that he doesn’t offer anything beyond a nod the other man might not even see– rather, he gets the feeling that Armando entered here a lone wolf and fully intends to leave the same exact way. He’ll respect that, even if he’ll never respect Armando himself, and he also figures that out of everyone here he’s who Armando is least interested in hearing from right now. So instead, he moves over to–

Fuuuuck okay he has to stop himself again because he’d honestly just feel really awkward saying anything to Troubadour right now or maybe ever, so instead he just kinda gives them a thumbs up from afar. There’s no ill will in the gesture, or lack thereof. In fact, he hopes that maybe their wish will somehow put a stop to the comically awful luck they seem to have!

Agh! Hoh man, where does he– his head whirls around, who’s left, who–

Nubbayyy!

Oh fuck yes. He darts over to the other man with a big grin on his face, stopping right in front of him.

Or should I say, Seung-jae Baek, emphasis on the Baek, or should I say, future in-law, or should I say… y’know, one of the first real friends I ever made here. My weightliftin’ buddy! The crown prince of sleep-overs! And a guy I’ll wingman until the end of my days!

Seung-jae, my man–

Then he finally pulls the other man into a big hug.

We’re goin’ home!!!

“Finally, right? All it took was killing a clown and someone becoming a star that grants wishes. If I’d have known it was that easy, we would have left AGES ago.”

There’s that snark he’s come to cherish. He grins before pulling back to respond–

Well, y’know what, Seung-jae? I want you to know y’don’t gotta wish for me to always be your friend. I’m here to stay, so long as you’ll have me. You’ve supported me so much while we’ve been here, y’know, and I’m never gonna forget it as long as I live. I’m just… I’m so proud of you, man!

His hands rest on Seung-jae’s shoulders. He’s tearing up a bit as he looks the other man in the eye.

“I wasn’t kidding about you needing to come to her birthday, by the way. I have to make it up to her by throwing her the coolest belated birthday party ever.”

Are you kiddin’ me!? I’ll be the first guest to show up! You’re never gonna have to miss another one of Eun-bi’s birthdays, and you’re never gonna have to miss any of my kids’ birthdays either! And speakin’ of–

He’s gone and back in a flash, and when he returns… he’s holding the card he’s made for Eun-bi. A bunch of adorable frogs have been drawn on it, of course, and then he says…

I’ll be hand deliverin’ this one to her when we get outta here!

Then he returns the card to his bag in the blink of an eye, returning to Seung-jae once more to say–

Thank you for always stickin’ with me, even at my lowest. I love ya, Dad of the Year!

Of course the next up has to be Beau! He’s by the other mans side in an instant, grinning at him with an excitement that simply can’t be contained. 

Beau! Beau!

They didn’t break me!!!

And with tears in his eyes, he quickly pulls Beau into a hug– and it’s reciprocated… which reminds him, damn, Beau is so strong he could probably pick him up without breaking a sweat if he wanted! It almost gets a laugh out of him, but he holds it back so that it doesn’t become a cry.

When he pulls back, his hands rest on the other mans shoulders as he speaks.

We made it! We did it! And… and somehow, I feel more like myself than ever. I don’t think that ever woulda happened if it hadn’t been for you, y’know. Truly, I mean… thank you. Thank you for inspirin’ me every day, and for makin’ sure I never, ever gave up the fight, even when I was at my lowest.

Man, I’m so excited for you! It’s– I mean, Beau, it’s your life now. No one else’s. You finally ge to answer to yourself, and yourself alone. Well, and those two knuckleheads you’ll be holdin’ hands with as you walk outta here… thanks to my brilliant wingmanning, of course! Ahuh!

“I knew I’d see you on the other side, dude. Show them who’s boss.”

He nods affirmatively, because he will do that. Beau taught him how.

I can tell you right now that you aren’t gonna have to wish for me to take you to some funny lil’ fighting game tournaments! And I’ll be teachin’ you how to juggle, and knockin’ out every seafood buffet I can find with you, and, just, we’ve got so much to do, man. 

And of course he has to go for perhaps the most epic brofist yet.

But we’re gonna do it together. I love you, Beau. Thank you for everything.

Their fists bump, and as they do there’s a tiny little explosion of sparks and fire. It is fucking awesome and badass, and may very well be the most epic brofist of all time.

Oh, and you better get ready to study up on codin’ shit. You’re still helpin’ me develop Olympus Mon, in case you forgot!

With a boisterous laugh, he salutes the other man then dashes over to…

Bianca!

He’s right in front of her, and puts his hand out for a dap… which will become a dap-into-a-hug combo. He hugs her tight before he continues–

We made it! We fuckin’ did it! We’re goin’ home!

All the things we dreamed about, the stuff we’ve been talkin’ about since, like, the day we met– we’re gonna do it! And, honestly, it doesn’t even feel real… but it is! You’re back, and you’re here to stay, and– and this is literally like the end of a campaign, Bianca! We’re about to save the entire fuckin’ world! Who’da thought? Well, actually–

It makes all the sense ever, to me, that you’re doin’ this. ‘Cause ever since we’ve met… you’re just– you’re one of the best people I’ve ever known, Bianca. No matter how much I’ve fumbled or fucked up, you’ve always, always supported me unconditionally. You’ve shown me so much kindness, given me so much strength, and been by my side through thick and thin. Every step of the way, no matter what I mighta been scared of– I never, ever doubted you. 

“I remember that you were one of the first people I met that made me feel comfortable around here. And honestly… you’ve been one of the people that’s reassured me that there’s still plenty of joy, hope, and love out in the world worth fighting for. People like you that make the hard days worth enduring, and make the good days greater. Not just me… but the world needs a light like you, Keith.”

He has to take a moment to wipe away his tears before he takes one of Bianca’s hands in his own, giving it a gentle squeeze before he responds.

Whatever your wish… know that you deserve this. You deserve every good thing and more, Bianca. And, also– here’s some stuff you won’t have to wish for! We’re gettin’ outta here and makin’ the Olympus Mon campaign a real thing! And we’re gonna make a whole origami paper zoo, and you’re meetin’ my folks and I’m meetin’ yours, and we’re gonna keep learnin’ how to box, and we’re gonna get you in even more anime dubs, and it’s gonna be fuckin’ amazing. We’ve got our lives to live, Bianca, long lives– and we’re gonna live ‘em together, capiche?

“Hell yeah, we’re going to thrive in what comes after this. We’ll do all of that and more, things that we can’t even dream of now. That’s… that’s the kind of thing that gets me excited and bursting with joy, Keith. We’ve still got so much life left to live and so many things we’re bound to do!”

He pulls her into another hug, then. What a blessing it is to know Bianca Vogelmann. It’s her eyes that he’s had to go the longest without seeing, and he will never take them – or her – for granted.

I love you, soulbuddy!

Who’s next? A glance at his wrist tells him the answer– he’s by Melody’s side in an instant!

You think it’s a coincidence that a few days after you helped me quit smokin’, we’re suddenly killin’ gods and savin’ the world? Sheesh, you really are my guardian angel, Mel!

A big laugh as he slings his arm around her shoulders, looking over at her with a grin.

Well, I mean, shit– what can I say? We made it. We made it! You and I, together, despite everythin’ that got thrown at us– we’re gettin’ out of here and, sheesh, we sure got a lot of plans to look forward to, eh? I knew that constantly talkin’ about stuff you and I gotta do after we escape was gonna pay off!

“Eheheh, oh gosh. We really did huh?” Melody replies, the weighted warmth of his arm seeing her residual tension melt off in an instant, “All the… the angels and wishes stuff– I almost didn’t realize this was the end of the rest of it. And that… you’ve been right there from the start.”

In a second instant, that warmth seems to stoke something within her. Energy, excitement, and a fidgety grin to match.

Now, BFF, I want you to know– no matter your wish–

A hand goes to her shoulder as he looks into her eyes with the utmost pride.

You know you’ll never have to wish for me to support you, right? Always. It’s like I told you– I ain’t turnin’ away. I’m… honored, to know you. To get to see you as who you are, and you’ve gotten to see me in that way, too. And… you’re still here. Thank you for… well, everything. 

And– and!

He raises a finger with his free hand–

Here’s a few things you ain’t gotta wish for, ‘cause we’re gonna make ‘em happen. You know what we’re doin’ soon? We’re gonna get to work on Olympus Mon and you’re gonna show me all those awesome things about audio engineerin’ stuff, and we’re gonna hit up Tommy’s and get those famous chili burgers, and you and Frankie are gonna get to come to an Achilles family gathering and meet Mikey and Liv and Santi, and that’s just the beginning!

A friend like you is, well… I mean, you’re a once-in-a-lifetime sorta person. You can bet I’m gonnamake the most of it. Whatever comes next– I mean, we’ve really made it through the thickest and the thinnest together, ain’t we? I know we can do it. Always. So long as we got each other. 

Melody holds back her words, as it’s all she can do to keep from bursting into happily wailing tears. This guy, doing and saying all this in front of Clown God and the angels and everyone. She’ll let her left wrist do the talking, offering her half of that plastic macaroni bracelet and a toothy smile for him to meet.

And then, his lips quivering as he tries to hold back tears, Keith puts his bracelet out to link with hers…

Then when they’re linked, he pulls her into a hug. He doesn’t say another word for a few moments, just taking a moment of respite as he realizes that after just about every single up and down a person could think of, him and Melody’s friendship not only survived, but now thrives.

… I love you, Melody. 

Then he pulls back to give her one more annoying and stupid grin. Off he goes!

Now? It’s time for… ohh yes.

FIO BOYYY

He’s so suddenly right in front of the other man, one hand on his hip and the other pointing at Fio as he grins.

Ohh man. I just know you’re cranky as freakin’ frick ‘cause I was literally right about us gettin’ outta here together. Never doubt da Jugglah, baby– or should I say, never … deith da Keith? Foolbit the Goombit? Mmm, damn, I gotta think about th– but my point is–

A little bop of Fio’s shoulder as Keith practically vibrates from excitement!

We fuckin’ did it, Fio! Granted, we got here in like the dumbest and most insane way possible, but at least now we get to do awesome badass shit. Which I know you’re famously a huge fan of.

Fio stands there, a black hole of disgruntled energy next to Keith’s enthusiasm. He wobbles to one side as his shoulder is tapped, allowing himself to be swayed. 

“Yeah, I love doing heroic bullshit. You know, there’s still enough time for me to use my wish to be evil and fucked up. I could wish to be taller than you. Or for you to trip while you’re running around like an idiot. I’d waste it on that.”

Keith laughs as he waves a hand dismissively, ‘cause dudes suck even as they save the world.

In your dreams, buster. But… well, y’know, I… wanna say. … I wanna stick around if you’ll have me. ‘Cause unfortunately for you, there’s now a fuckton of awesome things I’m draggin’ you along to do with me! 

Where do I begin– oh, well, you better get ready to pack your bags, most especially your friggin’ camera, and get ready for a trip to the Philippines! And my soon-to-be wife is gonna be third-wheeling us so brace yourself, brotha! Then I want you to take me to wherever Catholics go to do their Catholic stuff, and Liv’s gonna come along so you guys can start talkin’ about Catholicism while I interject with hilarious jokes! And I’m gonna get you hooked on Civilization and Crypts & Kobolds, and you’re gonna have to learn how to constantly interact with a baby when Juggler Jr. enters the picture! Ohhoho, it shall be a most SHRIMPTERESTING time indeed!

Fio’s disgruntled energy has only grown over the course of Keith’s speech, his shoulders hauling up a bit towards his ears. If you didn’t know any better, you might think his cheeks are turning red, like he’s… embarrassed? Surely not. He scoffs and glances away. 

“You’re out of your mind if you think I should be anywhere near a baby. Fucking–” His face scrunches up in dismay as he struggles to come up with words. “Whatever. You can try to drag me, I guess.” …It’s not exactly a protest. “…I guess a baby would be like a shrimpy version of you–” He looks disgusted that he even entertains the thought, but that’s simply the effect of The Juggler. He’s gotten pretty bad at resisting it.

With another laugh, Keith puts out his fist for a bump. When Fio reciprocates it, he looks like he’s about to dash off…

Then after a moment of hesitation, he pulls Fio into a hug.

… thank you for lettin’ me be your friend, Fio. I’ll keep makin’ it worth your while. 

Fio’s entire body stiffens up, unused to being touched, let alone hugged. It’s the first time he’s been hugged as himself. But he doesn’t push Keith away, even if he doesn’t reciprocate.

And he doesn’t say it, because he fears Fio might spontaneously combust… but, yeah. He loves this guy. 

Who’s up next?! He quickly glances around the room and–

oh. 

… oh.

His eyes land somewhere he was hoping they wouldn’t and sees the two figures he’s been trying to avoid looking at this whole entire time– Hiro and Faris. Shit-talking them is a whole lot easier than actually witnessing them, and the mere sight reminds Keith of exactly who he is, where he is, and what he’s trying to do.

And– can you believe it? On instinct he tries to find Laika. Why? He isn’t entirely sure. But maybe her presence, or at least what her presence used to be, would’ve been a comfort in tis moment of self-doubt that begins to consume him. Because she didn’t have any high expectations for him, and there is something meaningful in that as the weight of the world begins to make itself known on his tired, tired shoulders.

Laika, Laika, Laika. Not Sharp, not Sunday, but Laika. He wasn’t able to do anything for her, in the end– well, maybe, actually he was. Because it’ll take his wish to do the thing she gave her life for: ending the game, burning Firmament to the ground, and changing the world for the better. And he wants to call out to her, to the woman who was always two steps ahead and beg her for just one more answer–

Why is he here?

No, no, he wants more, he needs more–

Why does the fate of the world have anything to do with someone like him, someone who couldn’t even change the fate of the boy on the rooftop?

How can he possibly do this when he’s been able to do so little, when he’s fucked up so many times and won’t he just keep doing that over and over again?

And what– and how– and why– please, answer him–

PLEASE–

ANSWER ME–

I NEED TO KNOW–

WHAT’S THE REASON FOR WHY I’M HERE?

And it is a question he has asked himself for just about half a year now, one that now feels closer than ever yet suffocates him. He’s choking, gasping– he can’t do this, he can’t do this– because what wish is he supposed to make? How is he supposed to get this right? Someone like him, someone hypocritical and cowardly and selfish like him– him, stupid and simple him–

He can’t stand any longer. As he gazes up towards the skies and the divine beings that inhabit them… he finds himself sinking down onto his knees, shaking and sweating and defeated, he can’t stand he can’t think he can’t wish–

suddenly.

[ ♪ ♪ ♪ ] 

he remembers a wish that he’d heard a long time ago. The night before he’d moved out from his home and into his college dorm. 

He remembers–

–Keith? –Yeah, Mikey? –… I wish you could stay here forever, and we never had to worry about growing up. –I… I do, too. All the time. … thinkin’ about missin’ a single day of your life… it’s… it’s the hardest part of all of this. … but you know what I think?  –What? –I think that you’re gonna change the world one day. And you’re gonna be super famous, and beloved, and, like… president of the world. 

… but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re always gonna be my lil’ brother.–

Then he feels it.

[I’VE WATCHED YOU TOIL, I’VE WATCHED YOU WEEP]

… someone, something– is, and has been watching… him?

[IN MY HANDS, YOUR HEARTS I KEEP.]

What– why– why him? Why… him, who– who runs as fast as he can when it all gets to be too much, who tries his best but his best isn’t what it should be– why would someone watch over him?

[I’VE SEEN YOU FALL, I’VE SEEN YOU SOAR,]

… he soars?

It’s a revelation.

He falls and when he does he falls hard onto the ground, sometimes as deep as rock bottom–

… but he gets back up again?

[HERE AT THE START, I ASK FOR MORE]

What can he give? What, at the end of this world and the start of the new– what can he give?

He could wish for– for, uh–

For Olympus Mon to be a smash hit? Or that forgiving his father will be the easiest thing in the world? Or to have one last talk with Asher, or even his grandparents, like he’d told Ana? Or simply to know what the reason is?

… but none of those are what he really wants.

[A HEART OF GRACE, A SOUL SO SWEET] Because Olympus Mon can be whatever it turns out to be, so long as it makes at least a few people happy. The important part is the journey– the process, the act of creating a work of art with people he loves– that’s the point. And his father always loved a challenge, it’s part of why he brought Keith to the arcade on that fateful day– and so does Keith. So why not just face it head on? And would that talk with Asher be to put the boy that was meant to be his little brother at peace, or would it be for Keith to be at peace? And if his lola knew he made such a silly wish, she’d kick him right out of his heavenly visions and right back into reality. … and… it begins to dawn upon him.

[A FUNNY HAT MAKES IT ALL COMPLETE]

How could it have been more obvious? It’s been right under his nose this whole entire time. Because, objectively speaking– there is no reason. He was supposed to be just another damned soul picked at random.

[THE WORLD HAS CHANGED AND VIRTUES TOO–]

But, see– Keith Achilles has always been an optimist. A pollyanna, even– a dreamer who fights for the world to be better because he has known so many people who can’t fight. And he has always searched for meaning in things devoid of meaning, and this is no different.

[CLING TO NOW WHAT STRENGTHENS YOU.]

And he’s still himself. More than ever.

And he is–

And Keith is–

~”Please don’t think you don’t do enough for me, you… I’m not joking, you know..? Its been… it really feels like I’ve known you way longer, and that’s… I know people for like a year or two, usually? So… I dunno, to just… have it so easily…”~

~“Yeah, man, I kinda assumed I couldn’t get rid of you even if I tried.”~

~“I can start saying I’ll marry your nanay, too, if it’ll remind you of home.”~

He… tries. And… sometimes, he does pretty good, too. … and people trust him. People think he does enough. He… makes people… smile.

~“How… is it. You manage to find such… kindness in your heart for everyone? Surely you must tire of it by now.”~

~”But, um, for what it’s worth… you really make them happy too. So I hope you— you stay friends with them, if you can. If not, I think they’ll understand, but… You seem to really bring out the best in them, you know? And in a lot of us. So… thank you.“~

~”It’s not often I screw something up like this and still have people around to comfort me, or even offer constructive criticism themselves. So I’d way rather you stick around, eheh.”~

And… he makes them laugh, and he makes them feel seen and heard and like someone’s always there for them if they need it, and he’s that someone– and he has been that someone, here. Many times, more than he ever realized but now it’s suddenly all hitting him and he feels dizzy.

~”You don’t have to be anything you’re not, you just have to keep going, for Rhiannon and for my future son and slash or daughter in law.“~

~"If you will hurt me one day…then I forgive you. Even if you hurt me a hundred times, I forgive you. I’ll forgive you for everything. The only thing I won’t forgive you for…is if you die. You’re not allowed to. Not here. If you do…then that’s how I know you betrayed me. That said… Thank you, Keith. Thank you for letting me be selfish.”~

~”And I know that you’re a great friend to a lot of people. And of course, you know that we’ll always be happy to have your back too, Juggler.“~

And they– they care about him and they love him and they want to fight with him, they want to carry the weight with him and they won’t go away, they know the way he hurts and they somehow, they don’t want him to hurt again– they want to protect him, too– all of him. Somehow, he is loved for all of him.

~”We’re bros for life now. Y'dig? That means we’re gonna stay in touch. And I don’t care if you’re gonna need a ouija board for that. Do not leave me hanging, dude.”~

~”If you don’t see yourself as a good guy right now, that’s okay. It’s easier to see it in other people than it is for yourself sometimes. I still struggle with it on my end. But I don’t want you to forget how much awesome stuff you’ve done and that’s just…you. I hope you can see it one day.“~

~"I’m really, really, really glad we’re friends. Thanks, Juggler.”~

He is a web of contradictions yet so many people have come to care about the man they find beneath it all and if he’s going to ask them to trust him then it is time he finally trusts them, and how they believe in him, how they feel safe with him, how they feel happy with him. Because he finally accepts now that he doesn’t just take, but he gives. And he has given… so much, apparently. Wow. Wow oh wow– how does he accept it? He– he has to, the same way he has to get up and stand tall and make his wish–

~”I’d say it’s worth it to try and forgive.”~

~"You’re going to be a dog. And after we get painted? We’re going to fuck up a funnel cake.”~

~I-I trust you. No matter what, I trust you, Keith… T-Thank you…“~

But he CAN’T

HE CAN’T!

HE IS SO SCARED

AND HE IS SO HURT

AND HE ISN’T ENOUGH

and hegasps and grabs at his chest and he shakes his head fast again and again he feels hisshoulders starting to tense and fuckfuk ck fuck he blew it didtn he hes fuckign this whole thing up the worldis going to fall apartand its all because he wasnt strong enough andhe feels his breath getting heavierand heavier and hecant stop shaking he trembles and hes about to collapse onto the floorand

”Keith, now isn’t the time to rest.”

Then he feels a hand on his shoulder.

”We can take as much time as we need after all of this has been settled and done, but right now, we have to focus.”

And before he can even look at who it is – not that he needs to, he knew from the moment he felt her touch – a certain other someone chimes in.

”H-Hey, yeah… Come on now. We’re almost there, j-just one more step…”

Another hand– there’s a gentle little tug on his sleeve, one and then another before Tegan speaks again–

”Everyone is waiting for you—”

For him? Him, of all people? Can he really do this? Can he get back up again, one more time?

”Me and Aileen, we need you, please!”

… of course he can. For them.

He lets them have about two seconds of trying their best to pull him up, because he’s nefarious– but then he starts to laugh and finally rises to his feet– their words are enough for him, even if they work out at the library. Especially if they work out at the library, actually. Because, wow– they really were doing their absolute best to help him get back up–

And that isn’t anything new, is it?

~”…A bad person would not have asked to see more of my Christmas cards just because they thought it might make me happy to talk about them. A bad person would not be such a grounding presence for so many people here with no ulterior motives. I can’t change what you think, Juggler. But I can tell you what I think: I think you’re a very good person.”~

Because it’s Aileen who made him finally start to accept that maybe he isn’t that bad of a person after all. Who helped him understand that forgiveness isn’t an obligation, but something he can choose. Who showed him that the world can look better in grey than in black and white. 

~”I don’t… I don’t know where I’d be without either of you. I want to say that… I’m smarter than that, you know, letting this place make me move in such a way, but with the things this place has thrown at us… I… You both have done so much.”~

And it’s Tegan who not only filled the air with their curiosity and concern and eventually their laughter, but sat in silence by his side when he needed it most and refused to let him drown in his own panic. Who worked night and day so that they could both reunite with their families, but also gave Keith the honor of being a part of their family. Who came to his defense time and time again, believing in him with their whole heart.

And together– it’s these two who have gotten him through every single one of his worst moments. Five times, now six, they’ve pulled him back from the brink of complete and utter despair. As he realizes just how much people here care about him and love him and have supported him– he realizes that if it weren’t these two, he would’ve given up and withered away until there was nothing left of him. They are his team. They are his rocks. They are– his family.

They are home.

So he finally turns around to look at them, and in that moment,

he figures it out.

It’s as if time stops, the world comes to a standstill, and he finally grasps something that has eluded him for what feels like a lifetime now– something that he thinks, somehow, he has been trying to find an answer for not just here, but for just about his whole entire life.

It’s–

It’s them.

It’s the family he’s found here.

It’s the friendships he’s forged here.

It’s the ups but the downs, too– the ties he’s severed, even.

It’s every single person he has met here.

And so, after all this time–

Not only does he find his wish, but–

KEITH ACHILLES FINDS THE REASON!

[ ♪ ♪ ♪ ]

The world spins anew, time gets back to work, and Keith looks at Aileen and Tegan with his lips softly parted and his eyes filled with shock, delight– and an epiphany.

… oh my God. I… I get it now.

He’s found his reason but really he’s found his reasons– they’re all around him, making wish after wish and – he really can’t reiterate this enough – saving the entire fucking world!!! And they’re right in front of his eyes, and oh wow what essential and unforgettable reasons these two are!

Then he reaches out to take their hands in his own.

Aileen! Tegan! We–

We did it!

We actually did it!

We’re goin’ home! I mean, wow– wow! We talked about it so much but… but now it’s really happening, and– what do I even say? Or do? I just…

… but I don’t gotta say or do anythin’ with you two, huh? You always just… get it. Get… me.

… and I think I get you guys, too. In… in so many ways, and that’s… so special!

He feels like a kid in a candy shop, and the simplicity of his words reflects that– because oh wow what a whimsical and wondrous feeling it is to finally be free. Not only freed from Firmament, but freed from himself. Freed from all this self-loathing and self-doubt and self-so-many-bad-things, perhaps only just a little today but there are so many steps yet to come and he can finally take them! He can finally walk down the path he’s convinced himself he’s unworthy of traveling and with these two by his side he knows he can do that and he can do anything!

Aileen gives him something that looks a whole lot like a grin–

”We’re a team. Teams understand each other so they can support each other. Our little group? It is special.”

And Tegan’s got himself covered in tears but finally they’re good tears–

“Exactly…! We’ve got this far because of each other, and we can do something with that now for everyone else, too!”

For everyone else here and everyone else that inhabits this big blue rotating sphere in space, and what’s that something? Well, he knows what it is– it’s their wishes and he knows now exactly what his wish will be, and more importantly he knows what it won’t be because he knows he finally finally knows just how many things and moments and parties he can make come true without even a drop of magic involved– because it’s just as he’s been saying to everyone else here as he’s been bolting from person to person–

Well y’know what I think– before we rush into making our wishes, lemme clear the air just in case either of you two got any funny ideas–

Aileen! You don’t gotta wish for us to ditch this place and find the best steak shop around town so that we can finally get that Firmament-y taste outta our mouths! And guess what else you don’t gotta wish for!? We’re gonna be swappin’ books for the rest of our lives, and you’re gonna come with me to the midnight release of Final Fantasy 9 and we’re gonna hope it’s half as good as 7, and you’re gonna visit my hometown with me and beat at least one of my high scores on the arcade cabinets!

And Tegan! I don’t wanna hear you wishin’ for something like good luck in your love life ‘cause you’ve got the wingman right here, I’ll literally come to every date you have with Beau and Seung-jae and I’ll hide in the bushes holdin’ up cue cards! And we’re gonna travel and get you both to a StarCraft tournament, and I’m gonna teach you how to literally rowboat, and our siblings are gonna get along like Mario and freakin’ Luigi! Ahuhuh!

And… and I–

Yes, he, himself– he thinks about what he will get to do thanks to these two, he thinks of himself just like they’d always asked him to. They all know he won’t make a habit of it but still, it’s something and there’s a sparkle in his eyes as he starts to rattle off one thing after another–

I don’t gotta wish for– for… for people who’ll always have my back, and keep me safe, and get me water and fruits when I’m feelin’ messed up, and just– stay by my side even when I’m actin’ stupid and silly and all that– and–

He looks into Aileen’s eyes, eyes which have always grounded him and gotten him up from the couch and pulled him out of a dark hole into the light.

And I don’t… gotta wish, for myself, to… to start acceptin’, that… I’m… maybe I’m not too bad after all, and… I do my best, and… sometimes, my best is enough. And… I don’t gotta wish for friends who are here to stay, even when they see me at my worst, and… I don’t gotta wish for forgiveness, or to learn how to forgive.

Then Tegan’s– those eyes of his that are often so big and wide and filled with boundless, raw emotions, emotions that he initially refused to let himself feel but now they overflow and it’s breathtaking.

And I don’t gotta wish for somebody who’ll always be able to get the trials and tribulations of bein’ an older sibling, or… or somebody who’ll let me pull ‘em along on all sorts of goofy lil’ shenanigans, who’ll sit down and play games with me and… and just be there with me whenever I need it, without askin’ any questions, just– just understanding me, and… and acceptin’ me for who I am, all of who I am.

Sheesh! He has to take a breath before he finally gets this last part out–

And I don’t gotta wish for family. 

It’s right here, holdin’ my hands.

From Aileen, a reassuring squeeze matches Keith’s earlier gesture, and he receives a single, firm, determined nod in return.

And Tegan, through tears in his eyes and the biggest smile, is nodding vicariously to this all. 

He’s got his reason, he’s got his wish, and he’s got his future. And that future is coming at him fast yet he is ready, finally READY! He’s done running he’s done hiding away and he’s done being done, he’s READY and now it’s time for SET and GO and you oughta know by now that he’s the king of Mario Kart so something like this is hardly a challenge so what’s next?! What’s to come in the world after this one, the world that’ll be unrecognizable in so many ways? What’s to come is so many things he’ll never have to wish for. What’s to come is, is, IS!!!

A future where it’s the first Achilles family gathering since he’s helped save the world but this time he’s got company, Adrien and Tegan are getting to know Mikey while Melody and Liv hit it off exactly as he knew they would, and he picks Rhiannon up and twirls her around for no particular reason other than the fact that he loves her, and his nanay is whipping up some absolutely divine dinner with the help of his uncles, and he’s gotten more hugs from more cousins and aunts and family friends than he can even count! THAT’S THE FUTURE!

AND THE FUTURE IS!!! It’s their plane touching down in the Philippines and him making a joke about how he shoulda stuck Fio inside his briefcase and Ben and Ryan are shuffling out ahead of them with their fingers interlaced and ohh, romance! Romance and LOVE! LOVE THAT CAN BLOOM ON A BATTLEFIELD! The future the future the FUTURE oh he’s so giddy he sees it so clearly now it’s here and life comes at you fast yet he’s still losing his patience because he’s finally ready to reach out and grab the future with reason after reason lighting up the fire in his soul!!!

And all this manifests as him unable to hold back a laugh of sheer joy because the future is finally CHANGING! And he squeezes Aileen and Tegan’s hands tight and he doesn’t even bother trying to hold back his tears anymore– he has to catch his breath again before–

I– I know what it is, now. My wish. But– but I’m not gonna make it until you two are ready to make your wishes, ‘cause…

‘Cause you’ve been my strength for so long now, both of you, and– and– I’d say thank you, but we’ve talked about that quite a few times now, ain’t we? So– so!

JAG, or should I say KAT–

Let’s do this thing!!!

Aileen says– “Take the reins, Keith.”

Tegan says– “I’ve got your backs, promise! On your mark—I’ll follow your lead!”

I…

He simply can’t hold it back anymore– he finally pulls both of them into his arms in a group hug, and he’s shaking some as tears trickle down from his eyes but wow isn’t it something how this really may just be the happiest he’s ever been in his entire LIFE!

I love you guys!!!

As their head press together, he grins–

Now on the count of three– like– like one two three boom–

We make our wishes and we save the goddamn world!

One!

THE FUTURE THE REASON AND THE WORLD IT ALL COMES TOGETHER AND IT IS BEAUTIFUL! It’s his first time visiting Rhia’s art barn since he came back home and the kids all tackle-hug him and they actually knock him off his feet this time!!! It’s Mikey’s first day of med school and Keith gives him a call to tease him for being such a lil’ nerd and then he hangs up and he cries tears of joy because he’s finally funded Mikey’s future! And it’s– it’s oh man IT’S! It’s going back to the gym for the first time since leaving Firmament and getting spotted by Ms. Bus while Beau trains some of his students– it’s this and it’s it’s IT’S!

It’s getting to see all of the tech Jess is developing before they get suited up in their cosplays and it’s finally getting to meet Bianca’s folks and they love him as much as she said they would and it’s Santi tagging along as him and Kioko visit the planetarium and he watches as the two of them form a bond strung together by constellations–

Two!

And it’s the day before he proposes to Rhia and Derek’s having to calm him down but the next day he gets on one knee and she says YES!!! AND THEN IT’S THE WEDDING AND IT’S STRAIGHT OUT OF A FAIRYTALE! And everyone’s there and Yui asks Melody point-blank when their wedding is gonna be and– 

and his father is there. His father is there, can you believe that? His father– Greg– his dad is there and he’s all dressed up and looking the best he’s seen his old man in years and he’s awkwardly having conversations with people he hasn’t seen in over a decade but man is he doing his best and eventually he pulls Keith aside and can’t even get his words out to say just how proud he is and maybe– oh maybe– Keith can finally say I love you too, dad!

And then he sneezes while he says his vows and everyone erupts into laughter and they speed things up so he can finally kiss his freaking WIFE ALREADY!!! AND IT’S HEAVEN! SHE IS HEAVEN! SHE IS HIS REASON! REASONS, SO MANY OF THEM AND THEY LOVE HIM AND HE LOVES THEM! HE IS LOVED, AND HE LOVES, AND HE’S PRETTY DARN GOOD AT IT!!! And maybe they even get Troubador to sing a song for the wedding, and maybe he even takes one quick look at a wristwatch he was never able to break in the end and he smiles as he hums some old hip-hop classic to himself– then he moves on and he LIVES!

YES, HE LIVES!!! And Aileen somehow manages to get his nanay into video games?!  Seung-jae comes over to visit and have some tea with Rhiannon on their front porch and that very same day they get a phone call from an agent Ben had connected them with and then– then then THEN!!!

Then–

–now,

someone is missing from the future–

Laika.

Laika–

He–

Laika,

I don’t know if it’s a wish you woulda liked, or if you care at all… but I want you to know– I’m makin’ it for a lot of reasons, but… you’re one of them. Because wherever you are– I want you to know that thanks to you, there’ll be at least one child in this world – and, ah hell, I’ll admit it, even more than that if things go my way – who will never have to endure even a second of the life you were forced to live.

So in this wish– I thank you. I thank you, and I honor you, and… I miss you, somehow, though I bet you’re glad you finally get some peace and quiet away from me. If you’re watchin’ from up there– 

I hope Kit is there, and the two of you are finally getting to take a good, long nap up there in the stars. 

–then,

Ana is the first one of all his friends in the world that gets to hold his first child.

With the future in his sights, he makes a wish for what he knows he can’t guarantee and so he’ll make the powers that be guarantee it instead.

THREE!

boom!

I wish–

I wish–

I wish for my children to always be safe.

To always be successful.

To always be happy.

And to always be loved.

And Keith Achilles has never, ever been more happy in his entire life.

… or more tired–

He and Aileen and Tegan somehow find the coordination to lower themselves onto the floor, still holding onto one another as they catch their breath… and after a few moments, Keith looks up towards the two gods who he thinks the three of them just did massive huge 9999-type damage to.

And he smirks a most devious smirk as he mumbles–

… ahuh…

Howzabout that for NOT RELEVANT?

(It’s their first child’s first birthday party, and it’s one of those things where it’s more for the baby’s parents – and their parents’ family, and their parents’ friends – then it is for them, considering they can’t even count yet.

And Rhiannon brings out the cake,

and written on it is:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,

ASHER JR!)