After the End (Julian and MC)

1

Note: I am well aware that if you choose the "What about everyone else?" option in Julian's final chapter in his reversed ending, and then choose the option "They'll still love you" you and Julian go off together to find the rest of your friends. However, I liked the idea of staying in the Hanged Raven with Julian before convincing him to fight the devil again. When you go to find the others in Julian's final chapter, you aren't going to fight the devil, you're just going to find everyone so that you can all be together. This just a fanfiction about MC and Julian going to fight the devil instead of accepting their fate.

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Julian and I have been together for a while now, I can tell by the stacked empty glasses along the bar beside me, my pile now half the size of Julian's. I'm not sure how long we've been here, but I know it's been long enough for plenty of tantrums and hopeless breakdowns, the smashed glass around our feet the only evidence of our many emotional outbursts.

How long has it been? Weeks? Months? Maybe years... I'm not sure anymore, I understand now what Julian meant when he said it was hard to keep track of time here. With nothing to do but sit here and drink, there's time enough to reflect on mistakes.

We were so close, we could've beaten the Devil... If he hadn't cheated. He split everyone up, the coward, and tricked Julian into giving up his soul. We could've won, together. He was afraid of us, so he outsmarted us. He played on Julian's emotions, he knew he'd do whatever he could to protect me.

Doesn't matter now, I suppose. We're here now, together, and that's better than being alone. I look over at Julian, frowning as my eyes gloss over the dark feathers covering his head. I miss his auburn hair. It was so thick and soft, I'd give anything to slip my fingers through it one more time.

I've asked a few times if he'll let me unbind him from the Devil, if he'll help me find the others and try to fight again. He won't, he always refuses. I've stopped asking now, it upsets both of us too much.

We argue, we cry, we make up, and then we go back to drinking.

I practice my magic when I have the will. It's stronger here, far stronger than I could've ever imagined it being. Julian sometimes asks if I'll teach him something. Even though he knows I'll always say yes, he still asks like he fears I'll say no. He doesn't quite grasp the concept of magic, so we stick with basic things, like making fire or water. Other times he just watches, drinking away while I focus on my magic.

For the moment, I just sit with Julian and drink in silence. We've run out of things to talk about, it seems. He's told me everything he can think of, and I've told him everything I can remember. Not that that's much, three years' worth of memories only go so far.

I search for something to talk about, frowning as I look past Julian to glance at the door. I don't remember too much about what happened while I followed Scout here, but I remember it was confusing and unpleasant. I wonder what happened to her? I hope she's alright. Without her, I wouldn't be here.

Drawing myself out of my thoughts, I lift my eyes from my cup to look at Julian, who is staring at his drink with hooded grey eyes.

"How long's it been?" I wonder aloud before downing my drink and refilling it.

Julian shrugs, running his fingertip along the rim of the glass. "Dunno, how long do you think?" He replies, lifting his grey eyes to mine.

I shrug in response, frowning and shaking my head. "I don't know either." I sigh, frowning and drinking again. "You said you forgot things about me, do you still remember when we ran into each other outside the Rowdy Raven?" I ask, smiling fondly at the memory.

With a nod, Julian's mouth splits into a smile, his eyes brightening for a moment. "Yes, you fell backward into a barrel. Gave me quite a shock when I went to help and recognised you." He grins, finishing his drink and refilling it again.

"Scared the hell out of me when I came running down the alleyway and spotted you." I reply, taking a sip from my cup. "All I knew of you then was that you had allegedly murdered someone, and that you were looking for Asra... Asra, I haven't thought of him in a while." I realise aloud, my eyes widening as I stare at Julian.

He smiles at me, a bittersweet expression on his face. "That tends to happen. You forget people, and then you suddenly remember them." Julian sighs, finishing his drink.