FINAL TRIAL

[petoskeymods]

FINAL TRIAL

And now, you know the truth. Who's behind everything, and why.

And the question that hangs in the air now is - what's next?

It's noon when you all go down to the firepit, the sun hanging bright in the air. Red is there, seated calmly, watching all of you - and Archer is standing up, looking imposing.

It's time to talk.

CAMPERS REMAINING: 7

((REMEMBER: every living camper needs 15 comments minimum in this post to qualify for 'good end'!))

Comments

[love_seriously]

Really good. The best!

[ Hugging him back just as tight, nuzzling into the crook of his neck, absorbing everything about this moment- the warmth of it, the feel of his skin and clothes and hair, all so real, somehow completely unlike how they had felt in the world of the dead. Good to be back, indeed. ]

[particlebarrier]

[He does the same back to Floe, just breathing her in and just enjoying the fact that they're both alive and out of that perpetually foggy ghost camp. No more zombies, no more despairing about how on earth they're escaping literal death, just... this.

And though this has its own issues, for the time being none of them really seem all that insurmountable. They made it through hell, they can make it through anything. Lance is starting to genuinely believe that again.

He kisses her cheek.]

You're the best. I really don't know where I'd be without you.

[love_seriously]

[ She smiles warmly at the kiss, cheeks flushing with happiness. ]

No, you are. I don't even want to think about where I'd be without you. I'm just so happy we're here now.

[ That's all that really matters: now. Floe keeps telling herself that, chasing any doubt from her voice. Maybe not forever, depending...but for now. At the very least, for right now. ]

[particlebarrier]

Feels kinda like a dream, doesn't it? Heck, it even had the "awkwardly naked in a room full of people" part, too.

[All of which gets happily murmured into Floe's neck because he's still not letting go of her yet.]

[love_seriously]

[ That gets a laugh (god does it feel good to laugh) and she squeezes even tighter, lifting a hand to run her fingers through his hair. Letting go sounds like a terrible idea, honestly? Let's not. ]

Seriously, we could have skipped that part...

[particlebarrier]

[Oh, that feels nice. please keep doing that.]

Right? It wouldn't really surprise me if this was all part of a plan to peek. Camp's full of pervs.

[COUGH CHUUTA. But at least he sounds too contented to be serious about it.]

[love_seriously]

Ewww. If I knew we'd be putting on a show for everyone, I'd have thought twice about coming back.

[ It's completely flippant, of course. What's a little public nudity when compared to everything else. ]

[particlebarrier]

[That gets a laugh as Lance pulls back enough to look at Floe's face.]

Hey, you're the last person who gets to say that after you practically dragged me here.

[love_seriously]

Hey, that's totally different! It's my special privilege as your girlfriend to appreciate a nice view of the...scenery.

[ waggles eyebrows

She does shift slightly as well to meet his gaze with a grin of her own, although it's not quite as firm as it could be, the tiniest bit of hesitation to that teasing. Maybe it's the reminder that she almost had to drag him, maybe it's everything they still have to deal with (because they're not out of the woods yet by far). Maybe it's because they're surrounded by everyone else during this moment. Maybe it's...something else.

Maybe it's nothing. ]

[particlebarrier]

[Lance notices there's something up with Floe and instinctively doesn't want to know what it is. The situation isn't ideal right now, despite how smoothly things have gone with no lives sacrificed, but for a moment he wants to pretend that it is.

He wants to but knows he can't.]

In private, yeah. Last I checked I was dating you, not the whole camp.

[One flippant comment to ease himself into reality, then he brushes her cheek.]

You alright?

[love_seriously]

[ She leans into the touch, resting her own small hand over his. ]

I'm just...really happy. We really, really made it. But it's still...I'm...

Things aren't ever gonna go back to normal anymore, are they.

[particlebarrier]

[He's quiet for a moment, wondering how best to field that.]

Probably not. But at the same time, I'm really not sure what things going back to normal would even look like at this point. Going back home to fight the space war? That's not exactly "normal" to most people here. Not to mention that being back now doesn't undo the time we spent on the other side. Everything we learned, everything we felt... everything we lost.

[There's a pause, but he continues with a determined edge in his voice - some genuine conviction.]

I know all of those things made us stronger. We made it through something impossible so no matter what happens, no matter how crazy or scary things get, I know we can pull through it.