Week Two Afterparty: For the people who are Still Alive

[literalidiotball]

That afternoon could not be more confusing.

Not only was the witch who called herself Yuuko a fake, but it turned out the witch who communicated through bird and notes was none other than one of the pieces. And the suffering... Oh, the suffering...

At least nobody else died for now...🗈

In spite of the lack of death, Wheatley was about as shaken up as everyone else. If he wasn't sure he was going to die here before, he is definitely certain now.

But he wasn't going to try and let it get to him. Even if he kind of wished he could consume things in the real world, he's still clinging to the small victory they had in sparing everyone.

On that note, he had the goats prepare a feast, turning the dining room table into a buffet table. There was turkey, fish, granola bars, fish shaped crackers, a giant bowl of frosted flakes, Macaroni and cheese with chunks of fish, fish shaped granola bars... Look, Wheatley didn't quite understand what humans liked to eat at these things, but at least it looks professional.

There's even a large cake in the center of the table. It's covered in chocolate frosting, strawberries, and has a lovely message written in bold white frosting: "WE SURVIVED".

Comments

[foundfate]

[Watanuki is, surprisingly, eating food as if nothing is wrong. This boy needs some energy.

And after eating enough, he will finally sigh and set his plate aside.]

I suppose some of you have questions for me. Please understand that I can't say everything, as I am still bound by the rules of this game. But if there are things I can't say, I will tell you as much.

[respring]

I have a few questions, myself.

[ taking a seat across from him ]

One...do you know if Nirrti-san is the same goddess from Hindu myth? Or is she a witch who just happens to have the same name?

[foundfate]

She probably isn't, though I can't say for sure. If I had to guess, she just is using the name, much like how she was using Yuuko-san's name.

[literalidiotball]

Uh...

[This feels incredibly awkward now.]

Sorry, I really need to ask. What's with all the birds?

[He's not that wigged out about them now, but that doesn't mean he's entirely over them.]

[foundfate]

They're my familiars. Think of them as 'magical servants', except instead of being living creatures that I control, they're tiny pieces of my soul given a physical form. Think of them as an extension of myself.

...

[He frowns suddenly.]

Don't expect to see them any time soon, though.

[goldenmaniac]

Aww... I'll miss Pudding.

[foundfate]

Pudding will be back eventually.

[goldenmaniac]

That's good.

Oh, I dunno if you noticed but-

[He kinda gestures like he's pulling up a sleeve]

You're peeking a little there.

[nipnip]

[literalidiotball]

OH... Uh...

[The awkwardness has doubled.]

Right. Sorry about the mess last week, then. It's... Er... Let's just say I'm not a huge fan of birds.

[foundfate]

No, it's nothing you did.

[He's casting a sideways glance as Shadow now.]

SOMEONE WHO SHALL REMAIN NAMELESS thought it would be a good idea to crush the bird. Until that piece of my soul heals, it won't be appearing again.

[anonnomnomnom]

[Anon is just hanging out; he probably ate earlier or is going to eat later or something. Mostly, he's just watching Watanuki for a little while, thoughtful and bemused. He comes over to sit and stare some more not long after he starts eating and it's probably just a little awkward while Watanuki tries to finish up.

Too bad, so sad. He has yet another shiny new toy and he's contemplating its existence.]

Hmm, at least we can finally stop sending notes all the time. Though come to think of it, I should have experimented more with the birds! They were pretty fun.

[Watanuki is very lucky he did not experiment more with the birds.]

So I don't really get it. Why are you playing for Yuuko's face, anyway, what's the point?

[foundfate]

Yuuko-san's powers also come with her 'face'. It's all a package deal. Her face, her name, her powers. I don't plan on ever using her name or face, though, that would be weird.

The birds will return eventually, though. They just need some rest.

[anonnomnomnom]

Was it really smart to have pieces of your soul flying around during a Game like this? Oh, and the whole Tsubasa thing! You were pretty much weaker as a Piece than you ever were as a Witch.

[There's just some bafflement in his chatter now, as he looks at Watanuki like he's some kind of endangered species. Fascinating, but also kind of rare, and probably not well-adapted to the current environment.

Also a tad literal just a little while ago, apparently.

Also let's hope he doesn't just casually knock him out again. Are we past that yet.]

So if you have the title and the powers -- do you have the powers? -- then how come Nirrti's got the face, anyway?

[foundfate]

[Surprisingly, he doesn't pass out when he hears that name now.]

I thought they would be fine. Apparently I was wrong.

And yes, I was weaker as a Piece. That was the 'me' of 100 years ago. I was pretty weak then.

[He'll answer the others in a moment.]

[fullbodied]

[she pinches him.]

You could have dropped a hint when I was whining at you in letters, y'know!

[foundfate]

Sorry. If any of you had asked me directly too early, I would have had to reveal myself.

[He doesn't even flinch at the pinch, interestingly enough. It's like he is not bothered by pain.]

[fullbodied]

[interesting-- but also totally past her.

she just sits next to him.]

So, no more letters then?

[foundfate]

If you want to write I won't stop you, but you can just visit me instead.

[incrediblystressedout]

Is this where we get the whole story about you and Yuuko, or is that gonna be like a separate meeting? I want to hear it, and knowing the details will hopefully prevent all the...that from the trial.

STORY TIME (Spoilers for xxxholic)

[foundfate]

...right, you probably deserve to know now.

[He'll take a breath before continuing, though. It's a long story.]

This happened a long time ago, back when I was still a mostly-normal human. I had always been able to see the dead, but by the time I was 15 it was getting oppressive. They chased me everywhere. I never got a moment free for them. It was so bad that living people, those who couldn't see the spirits, thought I was just weird. But it was terrible.

It got so bad that I wished to not see the spirits anymore. And Yuuko-san, the Witch of Dimensions at that time, heard that wish and appeared before me.

She told me she would grant my wish, but that it had a very high cost. So I needed to work at her shop part-time after school for a while, to earn the karma needed to pay for such an expensive wish. That's how I ended up working for her, in her shop that grants wishes.

For over two years I worked under her, doing things like cooking and cleaning and running errands. Sometimes she involved me in the wish-granting, because my ability to see spirits was useful. It was...stressful, to be sure. But not bad. Looking back on it now, they were good years.

Then, she...

[He falters there, hesitating for a moment.]

...I guess 'died' isn't an accurate description. Yuuko-san's time had been frozen, just moments before her death. It had been like that for many centuries, with her stuck in limbo, unaging and unable to die. But then her time started once again, and her death finally caught up with her.

And in that moment, right before she disappeared, she passed along her shop to me. I told her I would wait at the shop for her to come back, and that is where I stayed, my own 'time' frozen just as hers had been. I remained there for a hundred years, granting wishes and learning more and more about magic. I come from a family of powerful magicians, so such things were a natural skill for me. But even as my power and talent grew, I stayed at the shop, waiting for her.

Then, a hundred years later...I made a grave mistake.

[He pauses there for a moment, because something something dramatic effects in storytelling.]

[chaoscontrol]

[Shadow plays a dramatic "dun dun DUNNNNN" on his ivory guilt flute

with the most deadpan expression imaginable.


he is the most helpful furniture]

[foundfate]

[Oh my god Shadow really???]

[anonnomnomnom]

[Anon is here, humming along!]

Hahaha, Shadow's going to be really great Furniture, isn't he?

[Well, he's probably already Furniture but eh. Okay, waiting on tenterhooks for the rest of the story.]

[incrediblystressedout]

[Unlike SOME PEOPLE, Joey knows how to be an appreciative audience member.]

A hundred years and you were still waiting for her? That's pretty serious devotion.

[foundfate]

[Thank you Joey, you're a good bean.]

It is. I love her like a mother, and I suspect anyone would wait that long for their parent to return, if they could.

But after a hundred years, I grew...tired, I guess. A hundred years feels like a long time, and I hadn't seen any sign of her. It was like she was gone for good.

...I suppose I should specify at this time that I wasn't waiting for Yuuko-san specifically. I was waiting for her reincarnation.