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The Death of a Friend



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Fri Apr 24, 2020 6:28 pm
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Mageheart says...



Kartiel didn't say anything.

I took that as an answer.

I looked up at Bo. Funerals weren't something I had even thought about - it wasn't like I had gotten one either time I died. But hearing Bo's voice break made me remember just how urgent it was for him to get home. Even without having this Kartiel guy coming to the afterlife for him, it was obvious Bo hadn't left behind a world of people who didn't care.

"It's...it's been a week," Kartiel finally said. "A week and a day. The...the funeral was just a few hours ago - I-I couldn't..."

He took a shaky breath.

"...I thought I lost you, too," he whispered. "Like all of my other friends. So I just wanted to see you one last time."

He looked back up at Bo.

"But now it's not the last time," he said, a smile to his voice.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Sat Apr 25, 2020 10:01 am
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soundofmind says...



Bo didn't have words. He sat where he was, frozen, hands holding Kartiel's.

Slowly, he bowed his head and hunched down, wanting to hide whatever expression his face was wearing, even though he'd been crying earlier.

His old body was dead and buried in the ground.

No. Cremated. They would've cremated him. It was cheaper.

A shiver ran down his spine. He didn't want to ask those questions yet.

"...my dad?" he finally whispered.
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Sun Apr 26, 2020 11:00 am
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Mageheart says...



Kartiel took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh.

"...I don't think he's doing too well," he finally said. "Once I...I realized you were really gone, I went to find the person who had killed you."

He paused.

"...Your dad got there first."

I didn't know a single thing about Bo's dad, but I was starting to suspect that he might have been a little more dangerous than I'd guess a relative of Bo's would be.

I glanced over at Asmira and Nathaniel. From the expressions on their faces, they got the subtext, too.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Sun Apr 26, 2020 12:53 pm
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soundofmind says...



Bo slowly bent forward, grabbing his head as he let out a pained sigh. His face was tense with grief.

He had seen who it was - just a glimpse, but he’d known. Trey had come back for him again after ten years. And now Trey was dead.

A flood of unresolved feelings came all at once. Him and Trey had never reconciled. They’d been friends as kids. Bo never knew what had split them apart. It’d always been quiet, behind the scenes tension between their fathers. He’d never thought to inherit their hatred, but somehow Trey had been shaped into a vessel of vengeance for his father.

But it had done nothing.

Now there were two dead sons, and two angry fathers. But Bo was going to get to go back.

Trey wouldn’t get that second chance.

Bo was practically curled up in a ball. He didn’t care how he looked to the others. He couldn’t see them. They couldn’t see him.

He let out a quiet sob. He knew he had no control over what his dad did, but Bo felt responsible for his death, and it hit too close to home. He’d always hoped that once his father was released, that he wouldn’t have to kill anymore and that they could live a normal life. A grandfather with his granddaughter. A father with his son and daughter-in-law. But instantly, that dream was shattered.
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Mon Apr 27, 2020 11:10 am
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Mageheart says...



Kartiel dropped down to the ground and hugged Bo again.

The three of us just kept standing on the sidelines. I didn't understand why Bo was getting so emotional over what had happened to the man that had killed him - maybe he was upset that his dad had gotten all murderous without him there?

I glanced over at Nathaniel and Asmira. They looked just as lost as I was, too.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Mon Apr 27, 2020 11:35 am
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soundofmind says...



Some time passed before Bo was able to collect himself. He didn’t have words to articulate what he was feeling, but he was desperately overwhelmed.

Why couldn’t his life have been normal and simple? Why did there have to be other worlds? He knew there was good that came of it. He knew that, he did. But his life hd already been complicated before he’d been dragged into other bodies, into other universes.

Yes, he wanted to go back to his family. But going back did not mean things would ever, ever be the same.

Bo finally sat back up, still sniffing and wiping away at his face, red from tears. His first instinct was to make a joke, or something to make light of the situation to relieve the tension the others were probably feeling, but he couldn’t think of anything.

Sparks fizzed around his face, where his eyes should’ve been. He gave Kartiel one more tight hug before letting go.

“...I think I’m done now,” he said quietly.
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Thu Apr 30, 2020 12:48 pm
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Mageheart says...



"Okay," Kartiel said, giving a little nod.

I watched as he took a step back. Even though Bo said he was alright, I saw the way that Kartiel hesitated. It didn't look like Kartiel was entirely convinced, but there wasn't much I could do about that.

"So," I said, looking over our mismatched group. "What's the plan, then? Bo's got his way to get back now, and we taught him how to use his powers - which aren't going to go away when you get back, by the way."

Kartiel glanced between us.

"I can bring Bo back soon," he said, "but I won't be able to do it until I can get enough magic. It won't take long. I just need a few more minutes."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Thu Apr 30, 2020 2:10 pm
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soundofmind says...



Bo sat on the ground, facing Kartiel (though he wouldn’t know it).

“My world doesn’t have powers,” he said quietly. “Won’t that cause problems? If I use them on accident?”
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Tue May 05, 2020 3:44 pm
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Mageheart says...



"You just have to be careful," Kartiel said, sitting down next to him. "I have magic, too, and I live on your world most of the time."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Fri May 08, 2020 8:20 am
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soundofmind says...



Bo sighed and scratched the back of his neck.

"You make it sound so simple. I'm afraid if I can't see it that I might not be aware I'm doing it."
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Sat May 09, 2020 12:39 pm
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Mageheart says...



Kartiel shook his head - seeming to forget that Bo couldn't exactly see it.

"You don't have to see magic to know it's there," he softly said. "It's something you can just...feel. If you're doing it, you'll know you're doing it."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Sun May 10, 2020 3:50 am
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soundofmind says...



Bo nodded slowly to himself, holding his hands together in his lap.

"I guess that makes sense," he said. "Would you... tell me, though? If I was and wasn't sure?"
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Wed May 13, 2020 12:28 pm
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Mageheart says...



I had the feeling that Kartiel would be smiling if he could.

"Of course," he promised. "I would let you know even if you didn't know."

There was an awkward pause.

"...I should have enough magic, now," Kartiel said. "I can send you back to your world. I'll make sure you end up in the room that my body is in - I think my sister would be a little more understanding if you suddenly showed up than someone else would be."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Wed May 13, 2020 12:40 pm
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soundofmind says...



Bo let out a small sigh. Kartiel would help him through this, and that gave him enough assurance that at least one person would know what happened and support him as he tried to figure out life now that things were different.

"Okay," he said softly. "I'm ready to go now."
Pants are an illusion. And so is death.






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Wed May 13, 2020 12:44 pm
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Mageheart says...



We said our goodbyes.

And then we promptly ruined the moment by deciding that we needed to tie Kartiel up - when Ammet took back control, we wanted him to be stuck on the building for a little bit. We also decided it was probably a good idea to be a good distance away from them, just in case Ammet got out faster than we thought he would.

The last thing I saw of Bo was him standing near Kartiel. I didn't know if I would ever see him again, but I knew he was in good hands. Kartiel - whoever he was - would help Bo adjust to how strange his life had become.

The End
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.








An existential crisis a day keeps the writer's block away <3
— LadyBug