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First and Last and Always
✖ THE END
Ⅰ. THE CITY
CW: potential alcohol use, nudity.
The ferry docks in calm waters/skies the colour of wine. The Ferryman, never a big talker to begin with, seems particularly quiet, and when you disembark he raises one hand in a little wave.
The island’s beach is bone white, the trees and bushes beyond it a lush green and deep teal. The air is the freshest you’ve ever tasted. Everything around you seems to radiate a sense of deep peace.
The path from the beach is clear, made of pale stones that glimmer faintly in the sun. It leads you up a gently sloping path and through a great stone archway overrun with climbing vines laden with tightly closed flowers. Beyond the arch, you can see that there is a shallow valley, the center of which is dominated by a massive stone temple. The temple is surrounded on three sides by a city. Its buildings are made of regular stone and dark, sturdy wood. Plantlife thrives here without feeling as if it is overgrown.
Here there are plenty of places to sleep and bathe and eat - everything is free, and the people who populate the island are by and large welcoming and friendly. To the west of the temple there are natural hot springs you may use. The east side of the city has a sort of lecture space where the island inhabitants gather to debate and talk philosophy or share stories and myths. Many of these you may recognise - there are famous stories from all universes being told. You’re welcome to tell your own. The south side of the city contains a sporting arena, open to the public when there isn’t some sort of competition on. While there isn’t anything modern like a JumboTron screen, there is sports equipment available that is familiar enough to use. The area north of the temple opens up on a thick forest. There are walking paths there, some of which lead up a large hill that affords a spectacular view of the city, the fields just outside of it to the east, and much of the rest of the forest.
During the day everything is bright and pleasant - the pace of life here is a slow one, overall.
At night is when the island really comes alive.
By the light of the stars and moon, all of the flowers growing on the many vines unfurl, revealing rich bioluminescent purples, pinks, and blues. They have a soft, warm scent.
There are parties at night on the island, filled with drinks and dancing. All are welcome. Unlike many of the other islands you have traveled to, there truly doesn’t appear to be any danger here.
Ⅱ. THE TEMPLE
Of course, the city is dominated by the presence of the temple at its center.
The temple is not quite like any you may recognise from history, but somehow reminiscent of many of them at the same time. The huge blocks of stone cut to build the structure are the same faintly pearlescent colour of the walking path that leads to the ferry, giving everything a soft but not unpleasant shimmer. There is no roof, leaving the whole thing open to the sky. The temple is circular, and to get to the center you must walk a labyrinth where the walls are covered once again in flowering vines. If you look closely and brush the leaves aside you will see there are faces carved into the rock. Some are not human, but every last one of them looks at peace.
You can find people walking the labyrinth. Some of them are clearly from the city, and they may or may not acknowledge you - they are absorbed in their own thoughts. More often than not however the people you see in the temple are clad in hooded robes that are either white or black. They’re happy to talk to you, and if asked will explain that people walk the labyrinth as a form of contemplation. “It represents a personal journey,” they will explain. “Walk it during the day and reflect on how you have come to be the person that you are. Walk it at night and you will experience visions of the moments in your journey where something in you changed, for good or for ill.”
The center of the labyrinth is a round clearing. Here the stones are darker and iridescent, with one huge block of it set in the middle of the space. On either side of it is a pillar: one black, one white.
The robed walkers of the temple will divulge the purpose of this place if asked: it is the throne room of the Ancient.
“If you choose to walk the labyrinth at night, no matter what visions may come, when you reach the center the Ancient will be there.” After all this time, this might seem like far too simple a ritual to summon a force that has been watching you for months.
The robed walker has only one other thing to say on the subject: “Well. She’s been waiting for you.”
Ⅲ. THE ANCIENT
If you choose to seek the Ancient, you set off at night into the temple. The pearlescent stones of the temple glow, turning the entire building into a shining vision. The flowering vines growing on the labyrinth walls release their own light and secret perfume, giving the journey a vaguely hallucinatory quality, like it isn’t quite real. You may run into someone you know along the way, so at least the walk isn’t quite so frightening.
The center of the temple has its own mellow light, a dark rainbow of shifting colour. The stars above are still perfectly clear, easy to see with the naked eye.
There is a tapestry strung between the black and white pillar, with what looks like pomegranates embroidered on it in darkly shining thread. Seated on the block of stone in front of this is a woman.
What does she look like? It’s different for everyone. Some people will see her as human, others not. To some she has a face and for others there is nothing there save a disc of radiant light. She could be any race, any colour, possessed of any body. The only constants are that she is extremely tall, and she wears something on her head - a crown, a circlet of stars, a mitre - and carries in one hand a sword and a scroll in the other.
One look and you understand that she knows you.
Or maybe you have zero interest in seeking out the Ancient. Maybe, just maybe, you’re avoiding it. Not that you’re scared or anything. You just don’t see the point. And so you avoid undertaking that final journey, sticking instead to the simple pleasures of the island.
Which is all well and good… for a while.
But there will come a night when you awaken at the entrance to the labyrinth. You have no memory of how you got there, and maybe you turn around and walk right back to where you fell asleep. Do that, and it will happen again. And again. And again. It’s never consistent, but you will be summoned again and again in the dead of night to the labyrinth. Maybe you should just give in… and take someone with you.
The Ancient is not emotional - she radiates a sense of calm, yes, but it isn’t particularly comforting. Her eyes are blank, sightless, but she watches you anyway.
“This is your time of reckoning,” she tells you. “Hold up your wrist.”
The colour of your ScryWatch is clearly revealed. It flickers between whatever the colour was when you started on your journey, and what the last change was. For some of you, this is an improvement. For others…
“What have you learned during your journey, Traveler?” Good question - probably best to answer honestly. This isn’t a being that appreciates attempts at deception.
The Ancient turns her face toward whoever has accompanied you on this journey. “Have they grown?” she demands. Guess she doesn’t trust just one opinion.
When you have pled your case, the Ancient stares at you for a while with her empty gaze. Finally she nods; she seems satisfied in some way, and when she speaks again her voice is serene.
“You have a choice to make, Traveler. You may return to your own world, alone, to the exact time at which you were taken. You will remember nothing of what you have experienced, except perhaps in dreams.
“Or you may choose to go on to somewhere else. I do not know where, or when, or what exactly will happen to you. You may remember everything, you may not. There are no guarantees. It will not be your home, but you will be alive and able to move on. If you travel together there is a great chance you will remain friends or lovers… somehow.
“When you have made your decision, go to the beach and tell the Ferryman where you wish to go: home, or away. He will take you there.”
The Ancient sits back. Your fate, it seems, is in your own hands.
As always.
Let's do it one last time!
CW: potential alcohol use, nudity.
The ferry docks in calm waters/skies the colour of wine. The Ferryman, never a big talker to begin with, seems particularly quiet, and when you disembark he raises one hand in a little wave.
The island’s beach is bone white, the trees and bushes beyond it a lush green and deep teal. The air is the freshest you’ve ever tasted. Everything around you seems to radiate a sense of deep peace.
The path from the beach is clear, made of pale stones that glimmer faintly in the sun. It leads you up a gently sloping path and through a great stone archway overrun with climbing vines laden with tightly closed flowers. Beyond the arch, you can see that there is a shallow valley, the center of which is dominated by a massive stone temple. The temple is surrounded on three sides by a city. Its buildings are made of regular stone and dark, sturdy wood. Plantlife thrives here without feeling as if it is overgrown.
Here there are plenty of places to sleep and bathe and eat - everything is free, and the people who populate the island are by and large welcoming and friendly. To the west of the temple there are natural hot springs you may use. The east side of the city has a sort of lecture space where the island inhabitants gather to debate and talk philosophy or share stories and myths. Many of these you may recognise - there are famous stories from all universes being told. You’re welcome to tell your own. The south side of the city contains a sporting arena, open to the public when there isn’t some sort of competition on. While there isn’t anything modern like a JumboTron screen, there is sports equipment available that is familiar enough to use. The area north of the temple opens up on a thick forest. There are walking paths there, some of which lead up a large hill that affords a spectacular view of the city, the fields just outside of it to the east, and much of the rest of the forest.
During the day everything is bright and pleasant - the pace of life here is a slow one, overall.
At night is when the island really comes alive.
By the light of the stars and moon, all of the flowers growing on the many vines unfurl, revealing rich bioluminescent purples, pinks, and blues. They have a soft, warm scent.
There are parties at night on the island, filled with drinks and dancing. All are welcome. Unlike many of the other islands you have traveled to, there truly doesn’t appear to be any danger here.
Notes:
1. Please remember to mark threads appropriately with Content Warnings when necessary.
2. You can participate in whatever activities you like with no outside interference, no magic tricks. Any trouble you get into will be entirely of your own making this time.
5. Have fun!
Ⅱ. THE TEMPLE
Of course, the city is dominated by the presence of the temple at its center.
The temple is not quite like any you may recognise from history, but somehow reminiscent of many of them at the same time. The huge blocks of stone cut to build the structure are the same faintly pearlescent colour of the walking path that leads to the ferry, giving everything a soft but not unpleasant shimmer. There is no roof, leaving the whole thing open to the sky. The temple is circular, and to get to the center you must walk a labyrinth where the walls are covered once again in flowering vines. If you look closely and brush the leaves aside you will see there are faces carved into the rock. Some are not human, but every last one of them looks at peace.
You can find people walking the labyrinth. Some of them are clearly from the city, and they may or may not acknowledge you - they are absorbed in their own thoughts. More often than not however the people you see in the temple are clad in hooded robes that are either white or black. They’re happy to talk to you, and if asked will explain that people walk the labyrinth as a form of contemplation. “It represents a personal journey,” they will explain. “Walk it during the day and reflect on how you have come to be the person that you are. Walk it at night and you will experience visions of the moments in your journey where something in you changed, for good or for ill.”
The center of the labyrinth is a round clearing. Here the stones are darker and iridescent, with one huge block of it set in the middle of the space. On either side of it is a pillar: one black, one white.
The robed walkers of the temple will divulge the purpose of this place if asked: it is the throne room of the Ancient.
“If you choose to walk the labyrinth at night, no matter what visions may come, when you reach the center the Ancient will be there.” After all this time, this might seem like far too simple a ritual to summon a force that has been watching you for months.
The robed walker has only one other thing to say on the subject: “Well. She’s been waiting for you.”
Notes:
1. Visions in the labyrinth can be seen by whoever you are with.
Ⅲ. THE ANCIENT
If you choose to seek the Ancient, you set off at night into the temple. The pearlescent stones of the temple glow, turning the entire building into a shining vision. The flowering vines growing on the labyrinth walls release their own light and secret perfume, giving the journey a vaguely hallucinatory quality, like it isn’t quite real. You may run into someone you know along the way, so at least the walk isn’t quite so frightening.
The center of the temple has its own mellow light, a dark rainbow of shifting colour. The stars above are still perfectly clear, easy to see with the naked eye.
There is a tapestry strung between the black and white pillar, with what looks like pomegranates embroidered on it in darkly shining thread. Seated on the block of stone in front of this is a woman.
What does she look like? It’s different for everyone. Some people will see her as human, others not. To some she has a face and for others there is nothing there save a disc of radiant light. She could be any race, any colour, possessed of any body. The only constants are that she is extremely tall, and she wears something on her head - a crown, a circlet of stars, a mitre - and carries in one hand a sword and a scroll in the other.
One look and you understand that she knows you.
Or maybe you have zero interest in seeking out the Ancient. Maybe, just maybe, you’re avoiding it. Not that you’re scared or anything. You just don’t see the point. And so you avoid undertaking that final journey, sticking instead to the simple pleasures of the island.
Which is all well and good… for a while.
But there will come a night when you awaken at the entrance to the labyrinth. You have no memory of how you got there, and maybe you turn around and walk right back to where you fell asleep. Do that, and it will happen again. And again. And again. It’s never consistent, but you will be summoned again and again in the dead of night to the labyrinth. Maybe you should just give in… and take someone with you.
The Ancient is not emotional - she radiates a sense of calm, yes, but it isn’t particularly comforting. Her eyes are blank, sightless, but she watches you anyway.
“This is your time of reckoning,” she tells you. “Hold up your wrist.”The colour of your ScryWatch is clearly revealed. It flickers between whatever the colour was when you started on your journey, and what the last change was. For some of you, this is an improvement. For others…
“What have you learned during your journey, Traveler?” Good question - probably best to answer honestly. This isn’t a being that appreciates attempts at deception.
The Ancient turns her face toward whoever has accompanied you on this journey. “Have they grown?” she demands. Guess she doesn’t trust just one opinion.
When you have pled your case, the Ancient stares at you for a while with her empty gaze. Finally she nods; she seems satisfied in some way, and when she speaks again her voice is serene.
“You have a choice to make, Traveler. You may return to your own world, alone, to the exact time at which you were taken. You will remember nothing of what you have experienced, except perhaps in dreams.
“Or you may choose to go on to somewhere else. I do not know where, or when, or what exactly will happen to you. You may remember everything, you may not. There are no guarantees. It will not be your home, but you will be alive and able to move on. If you travel together there is a great chance you will remain friends or lovers… somehow.
“When you have made your decision, go to the beach and tell the Ferryman where you wish to go: home, or away. He will take you there.”
The Ancient sits back. Your fate, it seems, is in your own hands.
As always.
Notes:
1. Characters are not judged on morals - the purpose of the journey across the Endless Isles was personal development. How you choose to interpret this is entirely up to you.
2. Theoretically you could just keep not walking the labyrinth forever. If that’s the case, your character would stay on the island until they either went through with it or died of old age.
3. The choices given to your character are meant to wrap up the game as neatly as possible. The decision to move through to another world is meant to be a way for you to take your CRAU with you, whether to another game or a PSL or what have you.
4. Your character has plenty of time before they make their choice so that they can say goodbye to people if they wish.
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...
Do you mean to return home?
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There is nothing there worth that kind of price.
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Do you mean having to forget?
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Could we sit on the beach for a little while? There’s something I want to show you.
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He just... nods at her question, brow furrowing in confusion.]
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She pulls out her sketchbook and hands it to him. The pages with her artistic endeavours have been removed but it’s still pretty full. All the pages that remain are filled with impeccably neat handwriting. Closer inspection will reveal story after story. Corners of title pages have small illustrations - nothing too garish or childlike. )
It’s a collection of fairytales. Ones we’ve talked about, a fair few we haven’t. And I… Well. I wrote one for you, too. It’s about how the moon taught the sun it’s okay to be in the dark sometimes. And even though the moon and the sun couldn’t stay together, they’d always be in the same sky.
( She pauses for a second. Smiles. ) There’s also how the unwavering man sought justice against a supreme being. Quite a lot of slicing with a rather large sword in that one.
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It's almost too much for him to wrap his head around. The time and thought required not only to compile these, but to write new ones? The written word has always been... important to him. A necessary window out of his life. But its authors have always been distant figures, long dead men and people who would never know him. Their words had value but they weren't created with any thought to him at all.]
...how long have you been working on this?
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Oh, a little while. I’ve been cataloguing the stories as we’ve gone along. ( She taps the side of her head. )
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And you've been anticipating a farewell.
You didn't say where you would be going.
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If you want the truth… I hadn’t really. I even thought about trying to throw the ScryWatch system so my colour would revert back down the scale and I wouldn’t progress my way out of being here. This is just something I wanted to do for you.
As for the other… I’m not entirely sure yet. But I really don’t want to forget, either.
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...I suppose most of us don't really discuss it. The precise moments from which we were taken.
Would you... be returning to something unsafe?
CW: mentions of gun use, emotional abuse
Maybe not. But she feels she owes him the truth. )
A police lieutenant and his android partner were investigating cases of androids breaking their programming. They came to meet with Elijah to see what they could learn from him. Only… Elijah wanted to know something, too. He wanted to know if the android who was the last chance to save humanity was, in fact, a deviant. So he conducted a test. The Kamski Test.
The question was if the android was capable of empathy. The method was to offer information the android, and the police, wanted in exchange for shooting me in the head.
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...and did he?
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On the other hand...]
Will they consider you complicit?
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I am in no position to condemn you.
But I don't know what makes returning to that an option for you.
[Probably, there's something she's left out. But it's hardly an enticing scenario, as described.]
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( Chloe's ever hopeful stance isn't too convincing. When she continues, it's with something she'd probably only admit to Sephiroth. He's forthright. Not always seeing eye-to-eye doesn't mean she values his insight any less. There's an understanding of similar existences. )
I don't want to be alone. But I also don't want be defined by someone else. I don't want to lose myself.
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...I give the Ancient no credit for it, but I have learned things about myself here. That knowledge is more essential to me than anything else. If I were to go back... I would not be able to act with the understanding I now have. I would return to ignorance.
[A pause.]
You have the capacity to form bonds. You would not remain alone.
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( She smiles a tiny bit and scoots a little closer to him. )
Thank you. I hope one of the things you've learned about yourself is that you have that same capacity, too. I just... don't want to let go of the person I love. I don't know if I'm ready for the loneliness again.
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[He does, for once. It isn't romantic, but if somehow the only way to keep Loki would be to forget him... He can see the temptation to risk it. It's a rare connection. He didn't think he had that capacity, before now.]
You feel certain he would choose to return?
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( What he understands might be more nebulous than that. She asks anyway. Maybe one last Chloe push to see if he’ll acknowledge that these important bonds can indeed be forged. )
I’m not certain of it. Preempting, I suppose. The rock and the hard place of not wanting someone to choose you over everything else and wanting exactly that.
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