Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
"Heh, I guess so. Feels kinda...nostalgic..." David muttered, looking down at his own body. He hadn't really intended to go back to his original form, but he had seemingly subconsciously defaulted to it when picking a shape for himself. Slowly, he manipulated his hair with his body control, wrapping it into a smooth, black ponytail, similar to the one he used to wear in his early days in the dream world."You look like you did when we first met..." Rory said to David as she manifested some Silver Aura in her hands. Swiftly, the aura would begin to freeze the atoms and molecules, solidifying the air at temperatures several times below absolute zero to form completely solid sunglasses with white rims, using some heat and sand to rapidly create lenses for the glasses. She handed a pair to Kiara after she put one on.
"A-alright. I-i'll...I'll only be few m-moments." Ythala said softly. She returned Tokugawa's smile, lingering in the doorway for a moment, before vanishing into the bathroom.Tokugawa nodded, "I promise that I won't leave you alone, Ythala. I'll be right outside if you need me." He said with a smile.
Tokugawa nodded and smiled, waiting for her to finish."A-alright. I-i'll...I'll only be few m-moments." Ythala said softly. She returned Tokugawa's smile, lingering in the doorway for a moment, before vanishing into the bathroom.
After a few minutes, Ythala gently opened the door. She looked visibly better, her hair combed and styled, while her face had been vigorously scrubbed to wash away the remnant of her tears. She was still visibly shaken...but it was clear she wasn't on the verge of a breakdown anymore.Tokugawa nodded and smiled, waiting for her to finish.
"Of course I'd stay, Ythala. Why would I leave?" Tokugawa said with a chuckle as he returned her embrace, smiling.After a few minutes, Ythala gently opened the door. She looked visibly better, her hair combed and styled, while her face had been vigorously scrubbed to wash away the remnant of her tears. She was still visibly shaken...but it was clear she wasn't on the verge of a breakdown anymore.
"...You...stayed!" Ythala said, a wide grin on her face as she saw Tokugawa. She fluttered her wings, launching herself into the boy as she wrapped him in a tight embrace
David opened his eyes, flashing Kiara a genuine, if not slightly shaky, smile.Gabriel put her shoulder on Raviathon's hands, "Calm down, Raviathon... We'll get through this..."
"Alright, man, I just uh... wanted to make sure you were alright, yknow? You seem... pretty shaken, is all. I know all this stuff is stressful..." Kiara said to David, "You can talk to me if you need to, alright?"
Rory glanced at Kiara, a wave of... comfort, washing over her. It was, in a weird way, relieving to know that Kiara had someone to lean on, while also being a crutch for David to lean on should he need it. She saw it as a symbiotic relationship, something to help them both move forward through all this stress.
"I...I don't know. I...I'm just...happy you kept your promise..." Ythala said, flashing him a bright smile."Of course I'd stay, Ythala. Why would I leave?" Tokugawa said with a chuckle as he returned her embrace, smiling.
(How'd Gabriel do that?)Gabriel put her shoulder on Raviathon's hands, "Calm down, Raviathon... We'll get through this..."
"I-I-I know..." Raviathon murmured, trying to shake her sense of terror due to her traumaGabriel put her hands on Raviathon's shoulder, "Calm down, Raviathon... We'll get through this..."
(Also uh forgor about this.)"I...I don't know. I...I'm just...happy you kept your promise..." Ythala said, flashing him a bright smile.
"I'm ready as always, just thinking what form our goal will take" Said with a smiledOkita breathed out, "I trust your ready, Jack?" She asked her associate.
Ythala flashed him a bright smile, gingerly, letting go of the boy, her wings flapping gently on her back."Well, I'm glad your feeling better, Ythala... Do you need anything else? I'll do whatever I can to make you more comfortable." Tokugawa offered.
Tokugawa nodded, "I would love to hear you play for me, Ythala!"Ythala flashed him a bright smile, gingerly, letting go of the boy, her wings flapping gently on her back.
"J-just..being by my side is...enough, Ythala. A-as...long as I'm not alone..." Ythala said softly.
"I-it...would be nice if I could...play some...music for you, if that's ok" She added.
Ythala's smile brightened. Quickly, she summoned her harp, slowly placing the fingers on the strings.Tokugawa nodded, "I would love to hear you play for me, Ythala!"
David's eyes shot open, seemingly not fully meaning to say his thoughts aloud. He hesitated for a moment, before slowly nodding.Road sighed, "Look... If we have time, David, I can bring you to where you live. Do you have any vague idea what your last name was, so I can figure out your address?"
Tokugawa smiled back at Ythala, "I'll gladly listen, Ythala, really. I imagine it's a wonderful tune."Ythala's smile brightened. Quickly, she summoned her harp, slowly placing the fingers on the strings.
"...W-when...o-one of my...siblings left on a...journey. We..we used to play a song for them. It was...s-supposed to bring...g-good fortune." Siglos said quietly.
"...W-we called it...Farewell of Feathers." She said quietly. She stared at the harp for a few moments, as if remembering something long past.
"...I...I didn't get to...p-play it for O-Okita. B-but...I'd l-love for you to...listen to it."
"Caballero... Alright, then. I'll figure out you're address." Road said, "You can go once we finish our business.David's eyes shot, seemingly not fully meaning to say his thoughts aloud. He hesitated for a moment, before slowly nodding.
"...Caballero." He said quietly. He ran a hand through his hair, taking a shaky breath.
"…Comes from my… dad's side of the family." He said.
Masayoshi's eyes widened slightly. Even after they were married, she'd never heard David say his last name aloud.
(Siglos X Okita? Interesting...)Ythala's smile brightened. Quickly, she summoned her harp, slowly placing the fingers on the strings.
"...W-when...o-one of my...siblings left on a...journey. We..we used to play a song for them. It was...s-supposed to bring...g-good fortune." Siglos said quietly.
"...W-we called it...Farewell of Feathers." She said quietly. She stared at the harp for a few moments, as if remembering something long past.
"...I...I didn't get to...p-play it for O-Okita. B-but...I'd l-love for you to...listen to it."
(Nope, but I'm just making fun of a character error lol)(Okita ain't a cheater )
“….A-alright, Road.” He said, his voice cracking slightly. He closed his eyes, a rush of emotion building within his chest."Caballero... Alright, then. I'll figure out you're address." Road said, "You can go once we finish our business.
"Guess he remembers his last name, unlike me... Always thought he was hispanic, guess I was right..." Rory thought to herself, staring off into the distance.
Ythala took a breath, a small smile on her face. With slow, lithe fingers…she began to play, the music spreading throughout the hall. It started as a soft, almost melancholy tune, a bittersweet sound that seemed to make the air heavier with each note. It carried the essence of longing, of a person wanting another to stay...even when they can linger no longer. If Tokugawa had ever experienced the feelings of saying goodbye to a loved one, this song would likely elicit a similar emotion.Tokugawa smiled back at Ythala, "I'll gladly listen, Ythala, really. I imagine it's a wonderful tune."
Tokugawa stopped smiling as he heard the song. He remained silent for a few moments.Ythala took a breath, a small smile on her face. With slow, lithe fingers…she began to play, the music spreading throughout the hall. It started as a soft, almost melancholy tune, a bittersweet sound that seemed to make the air heavier with each note. It carried the essence of longing, of a person wanting another to stay...even when they can linger no longer. If Tokugawa had ever experienced the feelings of saying goodbye to a loved one, this song would likely elicit a similar emotion.
Yet...as the tune gradually traveled through the air, it began to morph; the tempo gradually increasing, the sound slowly becoming more striking. Ythala's fingers worked in a blur of motion, the strings vibrating violently as the music reached its climax. No longer was it a song of goodbyes or loss...it was a song of celebration, the music vibrating through the air with the same intensity of a crowded festival. The celebratory tone washed over the stronghold, enveloping it in feelings of excitement and wonder.
As the song reached its end. The tempo slowly began to die down. Yet...it was no longer bittersweet, no longer somber or sad. The happy tune continued to shine through the slower tempo, up until the very last note, until her fingers finally moved away from the thin, golden strings.
Ythala stared down at her harp for a few long moments, almost overwhelmed by the nostalgia she felt from playing such an old song. Slowly, she looked up to face Tokugawa, a sad smile on her face.Tokugawa stopped smiling as he heard the song. He remained silent for a few moments.
"That was... beautiful, Ythala." He said after a few moments of silence, seemingly enamored by the music.
Tokugawa's eyes widened as she embraced him once more, just chuckling a bit. "You... really like hugs, don't you, Ythala...?"Ythala stared down at her harp for a few long moments, almost overwhelmed by the nostalgia she felt from playing such an old song. Slowly, she looked up to face Tokugawa, a sad smile on her face.
"...T-thank you, Tokugawa. I...t-that means, so much..." She said quietly. Gingerly, she reached over, wrapping the boy in another tight hug, her body trembling ever so slightly.
David chuckled a bit, shaking his head.The sound of moving vehicles became audible as the group moved rather quickly, clearly, Road hadn't situated them to far away from civilization.
As they would walk, Kiara would glance back at forth, sometimes at Rory, sometimes at David, sometimes at the sun, sometimes at the ground. She didn't really know what to think...
"So uh... Guess this is the first time in a while I don't have to look up at you." Kiara said to David in a vaguely joking manner, trying to lighten the mood, the cold, awkward ambience of simply walking making her uncomfortable. And she was right, now that David had taken this new form, they were roughly the same height, with Kiara perhaps standing an inch or so below him.
"S-sorry. My siblings and I used to hug each other all the time. T-they make me feel…h-happy." She said softly, chuckling a bit.Tokugawa's eyes widened as she embraced him once more, just chuckling a bit. "You... really like hugs, don't you, Ythala...?"
"I mean, we did meet technically millions of years ago... Plus, I eat a lo- Uh, used to eat a lot... So I'm bound to grow." Kiara said, flinching as she accidentally brought up her waning eating habits. The vague memory of her poor attempts at eating the cake Lance offered her surfaced in her mind, her appetite having long since weakened severely, but, she shook her head, pushing it to the back of her mind once more.David chuckled a bit, shaking his head.
“I guess so. Feels weird, going back to my old body again.” David said. He stretched his arms out, examining his flesh.
“Though, I ain’t the only one who grew, right? Could’ve sworn ya were a bit smaller when we first met.” He asked.
"It's fine, Ythala, I'm just... not used to this much physical contact on a regular basis." Tokugawa said, beginning to hug Ythala back."S-sorry. My siblings and I used to hug each other all the time. T-they make me feel…h-happy." She said softly, chuckling a bit.
Ythala smiled."It's fine, Ythala, I'm just... not used to this much physical contact on a regular basis." Tokugawa said, beginning to hug Ythala back.
"I ain't skipping meals, yah dope!" Kiara said, her tone also lighthearted. The group continued to approach the road until they'd gotten within a mile of it, the road visible from this distance without the group being spotted for now, at least. Traffic seemed rather heavy, but that didn't particularly matter, what did matter, though...David hesitated for a moment, glancing at Kiara.
“I guess ya not eating for two anymore, now that the babies out.” David said, scratching his head.
“But…make sure ya ain’t skipping meals, alright? Don’t wanna lose all that muscle ya got.” David said. His tone was lighthearted, but a hint of worry mixed into his words.
"And I understand that, Ythala... I'll hug you for as long as you need me to." Tokugawa promised, his grip around her becoming tighter.Ythala smiled.
“I…I understand. T-thank you for…being so…accepting, anyway. I…I just…really need…s-someone to…h-hug right now…” Ythala said quietly. The smile remained on her face, yet her voice cracked audibly, her slender body trembling in his embrace.
“Heh, glad to hear, Kiara. Just checkin’ in” He said, seemingly a bit relieved by her answer. He glanced at Rory, before slowly shaking his head."I ain't skipping meals, yah dope!" Kiara said, her tone also lighthearted. The group continued to approach the road until they'd gotten within a mile of it, the road visible from this distance without the group being spotted for now, at least. Traffic seemed rather heavy, but that didn't particularly matter, what did matter, though...
"So... Anybody here know how to drive?" Rory proceeded to bring up.
“T-thank y-you…” She whispered. She pressed her face against the boy’s shoulder, sniffling softly as he held her. She would remain like this for as long as he allowed her to, simply being comforted by the boy’s embrace."And I understand that, Ythala... I'll hug you for as long as you need me to." Tokugawa promised, his grip around her becoming tighter.