middleofsomewhere | Conclusion

Conclusion

Thank you.

For those inside the system the voices of the Great-Seasons ring out around them once the red mass has vanished and the blue plinth it was smothering is freed once more. They don't have all that much time to reflect on that before they find themselves waking up once more in their bodies around the tree trunks.

Or at least, around the tube that is the Great-Season they entered through. All illusions have vanished now, all that is left are pipes and metal.

The Great-Seasons allow them passage out from the centre, no sentries or pipes attack them this time. Everything seems to have been put to rights, the walls in the Autumn sector have stopped moving, there is no strange weather effects in the Summer Sector, no engineering problems in Winter and all the camaloid creatures in Spring are calm. Any Helpmates they come across are doing their jobs and no longer malfunctioning.

After a small amount of time, enough to check that all is well, their SCA's light up. All Passengers are to return to the Voidtrecker Express.

Considering the vast distances involved it is probably best that they use the evacuation function to return to the Luggage carriage.

Once all Voidtreckers have returned the train returns to the Void once more.

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escape (closed to Ryo and Thanatos)

Once Otoha uses the quick escape, he glances down at the burns and other wounds that he sustained from the creatures in the trees as well as the bruises from the Helpmates. He doesn't want to deal with anyone fussing over him, so he quickly starts moving from the luggage car up towards the sleeper carriages. He needs to process, and he needs to bandage his wounds in silence.

planting a seed

Once he's cleaned up, Otoha goes to the Greenhouse and starts to sort through the seeds. He's curious as to what sort of options he has for flowers... and he's not sure which one would be most appropriate for this situation. It'll take him a bit of time to figure it out.

soak it in

Otoha has been in many an onsen, and while this isn't quite the same it's close enough. He slips in when he doesn't see anyone using the area and sets his clothes to the side, grabbing a towel and a pair of swim trunks. He doesn't put either of them on, but instead slips into the pool naked. He keeps the trunks nearby in case anyone has an issue with it - he's aware there's plenty of people who aren't Japanese on the train.

Still, it's nice to relax. Even if he can't feel pain he can feel his muscles untensing in the warm water.

Wildcard

[Something else?]

It's a while before Ryo returns to the train. As one of the bigger teams, Orange has been asked to wait for a bit, and he's taken the time to check over his teammates to see if they need help. The fact that he's a bit wary of technology after losing his magic inside the not-tree may also be a bigger factor than he's willing to admit.

But he eventually makes it back, leaving the crush of the luggage car and heading further out into the train. His next job is to take care of his friends on other teams, and - well, if he's going to be honest about it, he's worried about Otoha. He knows Otoha is injured - he'd said so himself - and he'll probably make himself difficult to find as a result.

Fortunately, someone else is much closer, he realizes as his Sense folds in on itself, protecting itself from a divine presence.

Ah.

"Thanatos? Do you have a minute?"

Thanatos had shifted back to the train as soon as it was Red's turn to leave. As such, he had some time to at least shove his thoughts and emotions down to where they won't bother him. For a time.

"Yes," he say as he hopes the next thing he says isn't a continuation of their mongoose interrupted talk. A hallway is hardly the place to do that.

He'll take the pin out of that talk eventually, but it's not going to be an hour after a mission in the middle of a hallway. There are far better times and places for that.

He does pause and really look at Thanatos, though. He looks better, but some people are very good at putting up a strong front while they're dying inside. "First of all, are you doing okay?" He's not exactly expecting Thanatos to open up right then and there, but he does need to ask.

Awakening

After the experince in the presumably digital world, Senku found himself lying in a heap at the base of what had been the tree.

He blinked a few times, confused, and sat upright. "Well." He paused. "Survived that."

It had definitely been interesting and he didn't know what to think of it.

Hitting the evac button

The message coming when they're so far means that there was no way he could make it back to the train in any short order.

He tapped the evacuation button without complaint and found himself in the luggage car and caught beneath someone else.

"Ack! Get off!" He complained reflexively.

Back on board

He was definitely getting a nice hot shower, first of all and when he was dressed again and walking along towards the library his hair was down in his face on his shoulders. He pushed it out of his eyes, he was going to have to cut it soon. He situated himself at a table and leaned back in his chair, thinking. It was a quiet enough place to think and reflect on the mission. While his hair was wet it'd stay down, but it would spring back up once it dried.

"I do not have have any injury." Except maybe to his mental state. "And my powers have returned." Except being able to shift back to the House.

He looks at Ryo, his face a forced neutral. He's probably silent a moment longer than what would be considered polite before he asks, "And you?"

healing light

The end of the mission had been a little chaotic, but that was okay! There didn't seem to be quite as many injuries as usual, and Mami was grateful for that. Still, she'd position herself in triage to watch the people passing through with a gentle smile, keeping a sharp eye out for any limps or winces.

"If anyone's hurt, I can help! It won't drain me, I'll be all right---please, I want to see everyone well and strong!"

in the dark (cw: issues of identity/death/madoka series spoilers)

One encounter on the mission had somewhat darkened Mami's outlook. When the rush of debriefing and healing faded, doubt began to creep into her mind. Could it be true? Could Kyubey have hidden something like that from her?

She tucked her legs beneath her and sat near the berry patch in the green house, cradling the glowing yellow egg-shaped gem in her hand. Rosetta sat on her wrist, the small green hedgehog sniffing worriedly at it.

"That...can't be right, can it?"

But it would explain a few odd things...she bites her lip, worriedly.

Grade-A evasive answer there, thank you, Thanatos. For a moment Ryo simply gives him a flat look - really? - and sighs. If Thanatos is doing okay, then he can't be top priority.

"Good." A beat. "I'm worried about Otoha - have you seen him anywhere? I know he's injured, but I haven't found him yet." With any luck, Thanatos will be able to point him in the right direction.

Edited 2021-01-27 00:52 (UTC)

The return

He returned to reality and found himself staring at a different place. The whole battle had been confusing to him, but he didn't say anything about it.

Yoite glanced around briefly, to keep an eye out for who else was around before padding his way out back towards the train.

When it came time and his SCA vibrated to catch his attention, he used the evacuation button.

On the train

This was the second mission that had gone horribly. Yoite hadn't realized how much he'd been relying on Miharu in the last of the time he'd been at home.

This wasn't the same kind of disaster as last time, and his combat had gone better, he'd been better prepared, but it had been pointed out to him that he was functionally a problem.

Yoite shouldn't be surprised, but at least he had his combat going for him. If he didn't have that then...?

He padded down the hall to find somewhere to hide away and think. He didn't tend to go for quiet rooms, he just found corners to sit in and he situated himself in the dining room at the table. Come on Yoite, think. If he couldn't overcome this, then what?

The flat look is returned. Thanatos tried to warn Ryo that he didn't know what he was getting himself into when calling him a friend. (It's not too late to change his mind.)

"Otoha... we've met before." And Thanatos also knows that he has gotten hurt. That leaves one course of action. "Where will you be?"

(Like hell is he leaving you behind, buddy.)

The question is not expected, and he blinks. "Um- probably triage for now, and medical later?" If he can't find Otoha himself, he can at least help anyone passing through who needs healing.

"I will see you in triage."

And Thanatos, without any further explanation, starts shifting from car to car, looking for Otoha.

Edited 2021-01-27 01:15 (UTC)

"Wh-" He startles at the flash of light and the bell toll - it gets him every time - and takes a moment to breathe. This was not what he'd intended, but...okay. Huh.

The moment passes, and he makes his way back to the triage car.

Otoha is only a few cars up, walking down the hallway and about to enter his room. He has his ticket out when he looks up and spots Thanatos.

"... Nice trick." He just wants to go wrap his wounds privately. He doesn't need the whole train watching.

Normally, Thanatos would give people their space, but seeing the ticket out and Otoha's name on the door, he crosses his arms and blocks the way.

"Ryo's looking for you. Go to him in triage."

Otoha gets one chance.

"... I'm fine." His voice is quiet, but firm. "Get out of my way."

Thanatos, in return, gets one chance. He doesn't want to deal with this. He's tired, and he doesn't need someone seeing his weakness.

Triage isn't that far away from the first sleeper cabin. Carrying him is likely to result in a struggle if he won't go himself.

... Well, Thanatos supposes, it might be prudent to act more like a meddling, idiotic prince. Just this once.

Thanatos reaches out to grab Otoha and concentrates on locating Otoha's soul. (Why the hell is it there?) Once his hand is on him, he shifts them both to triage, soul and body moving together as a unit.

A loud bell toll sounds out upon their arrival. Thanatos lets go and looks at Ryo. "Here he is."

Raven had a few people she wanted to check on, both on her own team and on others. Yoite was one of them, as she went searching the other out. "Hey." She murmured, loud enough to be heard, but hopefully not interrupt others.

Ryo has barely made it back to triage himself before the bell tolls, his Sense folds, and he damn near jumps out of his skin. He is never going to get used to that!

But it means Thanatos is back, and even before he turns around, he knows Otoha is too - his Sense may be dulled with Than in the room, but he knows Otoha well enough to be able to pick up on him as well.

Evidently Thanatos can bring people with him when he poofs.

That's...huh.

Having sufficiently gathered himself in that moment or two, he turns to face them. "Thank you," he says to Thanatos, then looks at Otoha. "You can't tell me you're injured and expect me not to look for you."

Fortunately for Raven, Yoite was paying attention to his surroundings at least, he was trying to specifically for the point of doing it and he was surprised when she approached him again.

"Hello." He greeted in return.

One moment he's in front of his room, the next he's being grabbed - and there's a severe pressure on his soul, a crushing feeling on his chest as he's yanked and dragged back to triage. He's let go and he goes for a swing at Thanatos.

Being teleported has thrown off his balance though, so it goes wide. He whips around and looks at Ryo, the anger on his face softening a bit - he's trying to calm down, but he can only do so much so quickly.

"I can bandage my own wounds. You can save your strength." He bristles slightly. "... I don't need to be looked after. You're too kind... you're just going to -" End up like Reiji, he wants to say, but doesn't. Not here, not in public. His eyes flick between Thanatos and Ryo and the door, clearly judging how fast he can move against someone who can teleport.

Raven didn't ask, for once, if she could join him. She just sat down nearby in the corner too. "How have you been settling in? How'd this mission go for you?"

Honestly, Thanatos is used to this reaction, though usually it's a lot less corporeal. Thanatos... doesn't move or even think to, and for Ryo's sake (and maybe Otoha's), it's good that the punch went wide.

"The sooner you stop being stubborn, the sooner all of this can be over." Thanatos goes to stand by the door. If Otoha doesn't give him a reason to, he won't get further involved.

Yoite was watching her, because he had to and he shook his head.

"I have a problem I need to fix so I don't keep doing badly at missions."

"Why do you think you keep doing badly at missions?" Raven asked, remembering their talks before. "This was only your what, second mission?"

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Page 1 of 48

Conclusion

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there is no escape

Death is inevitable

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Senku Ishigami | OTA

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mami tomoe | purple (mind the content warnings second prompt!)

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Yoite | OTA

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On the train

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