11/24, evening

[trollophoroi]

Hellooooo Fragment~

I am so sorry to announce that the news of my demise has been greatly exaggerated!

Not that I can blame anyone, of course! I was not, in fact, 100% certain that Lily would reach out and pluck me away at the very edge of death, and yet! As it would turn out, I was and continue to be correct!

Well, only about certain things. Just. Not everything.

Regardless, I have some news that I must bring to you straight from Lily's own core.

[ This message has been specifically brought to you via the forum because that way no one can even begin to guess how upset Fandaniel is, mmhm, perfect. ]

Comments

un: Mr_Misteaks

[gluttoning]

Wait.

What????????????

[trollophoroi]

Lily took me back to the garden. At least, where it used to be, anyway.

[gluttoning]

I was wondering if it really was gone for good.

Is he the one who saved you?

[trollophoroi]

He saw no reason to continue maintaining it...

He did. He healed me and began crumbling away from it and when he gave me his core, the rest of his human self fell apart and he was gone.

[gluttoning]

He's gone?

[A significant pause. Even after everything, after what he went through, what his loved ones went through, the thought of it still...


...hurts...

...]

I wonder if he knew. He warned us it wouldn't be easy to bring us back if we used the data drain too much.


Did you get to say goodbye?

[trollophoroi]

[ There's a long pause. Of all the things to be asked here, this was one he dreaded. Of course, Barrett would be the one.

Barrett, who's too kind for his own good.

Eventually, a reply does come. ]

I did. I held him as he went. He wasn't alone. He told me he finally knew what it was to feel happy, in the end.

1/2

[gluttoning]

[To feel happy. Happy.

Maybe, even, to feel loved, outside of saccharine strawberry coating.

The pause is longer still as he tries to collect himself.]

2/2

[gluttoning]

Could you come meet me somewhere later?

[trollophoroi]

Are you sure?

I can. You can pick the place or you can swing by the hot springs once I've received my community-wide beatings.

[gluttoning]

Yes. I'm sure.

Not the hotsprings. I think somewhere with a good view would be better.

[trollophoroi]

Alright. Drop a location in my inbox when you want to meet up.

[gluttoning]

[Roughly two hours later, he'll get a ping.

"I'll meet you at ΘHidden Forbidden Virgin Peaks."]