Conclusion

[voidtreckermods]

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.

Comments

[flatteries]

"Then I'll do it."

There's no hesitation about that. Maybe there should be a bit of hesitation, but.. Inigo can't help it. If Senku says that it'll be helpful, then Inigo instantly believes the other. What else would they be friends for if he didn't 100% believe in Senku and his experiments?

And if he can do it, rather than too many other people having to risk it, then that's all for the better. If just him, Senku and Gen do it - that should already be enough of a varied pool of people, right?

"I want to help out everyone here too. And if it does end up being a problem on some world we try it on, then I'll just make sure to quickly put it back on. No problem." He shakes his head, managing to smile confidently despite the topic.

.. although. His smile drops a tad, though it doesn't fully fade. "I might have to look for a different partner to watch me though."

Considering what Tidus had looked like during his attempt during the last mission. Inigo doesn't want to put him through that again.

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita shakes her head.

"Nah; if you're not trying to run all of them with one mind, you should be good."

Is she taking this at least semi-seriously, logistics-wise? Perhaps!

But Inigo's strategy is working, and that's arguably more important anyway.

[worthallthis]

"They're fine. It's not. Uncomfortable." Just there's four people sharing it, is all. It's actually okay, too, when they're just doing their twice-a-day sleep schedule. They just need to catch up on their sleep, now, after the mission. "And the quiet rooms don't work. They're too quiet."

They sit up a little straighter in the train car seat. "I'll be fine. This'll pass and I'll be back to standard operating."

[worthallthis]

"The soup is almost done. Then I'll sit," Soldat promises. "Talk with me. That helps." Can't nod off if they're talking. This has been a workaround before, carting supplies around while in this state. (It's been a while since I've thought about Ellever... She was a good kid.)

Subject. Other than Beacon or sleeping. "How did the mission go. For our team." Since they were off with the red team and all.

[worthallthis]

"I fold the paper like this." They start on the first fold of the crane on their own paper, slow and even, waiting patiently for Otoha to follow along with his paper. Once he does, Soldat makes the next fold. "And then like this. Slow and steady, one fold at a time, no time limit."

[worthallthis]

Soldat stops the ball from the pass with his foot, gives it a careful, experimental kick to gauge the strength of the rubber (or leather, or whatever this particular soccer ball is made out of), then repeats the drill Conan just made. They're not perfect, the ball escapes several times in the first few tries, but they're pretty good for one attempt. The repetition of the drill coming back is much cleaner, now that they know what it feels like.

Having excellent body understand, serum-enhanced learning skills, and a history of being pretty severely punished for failing at similar skills helps a lot with picking up things like this.

[bakegarasu]

“... Oh. The other science fiction option. Though, uh. I guess not ‘fiction’ for you... huh.” That’s... interesting. “Anyway, yeah. Public batting’s a common thing. I mean, people have their own baths now, but still go to them sometimes.”

He lifts a hand and gestures to Devero. “They probably wouldn’t let you into most, though. Tattoos are associated with the yakuza. Organized crime. I grew up in it, but never got a tattoo. “

[its_dad_sanzo]

Well, Koumyou doesn't have to sit there and consider his response to that one.

"Bullshit."

It's still gentle, but there's no hesitation.

"Who told you that?"

Is there someone on the train Koumyou Sanzo needs to have a little chat with?

[fivemilesdeep]

By the gods, why is this the second time he's having this conversation today? How many people on this train are under the impression that they're not allowed to be people?

He meets Persephone's gaze, and...well. Obviously they can't leave Thanatos like this. Persephone says what's on his mind, and he holds Thanatos a little tighter while she talks.

"She's right - you're more than just your job." They'd talked about this too during the mission, not that that had gone terribly well. "You're more than just death - you're a person, and you're allowed to have feelings and make friends and care about them, and that's a good thing!" He pauses, and then: "And if the gods of your world have told you otherwise, then they're wrong." He'd never had the best impression of Thanatos' fellow gods in the first place, and this certainly isn't helping that. Hopefully it's helping Thanatos, at least.

[firewalled]

Rich makes a face at that.

"Ugh, god, I didn't even think about that. If my SQUIP had still been on, I don't know if I could have made it back in the right place." It probably would have taken his body for a joyride, maybe even escaped before Rich could get back from that data world.

...And yet he was still considering if it would be safe to reactivate it again. He's a moron.

[subcircuits]

"...Administrator Valdana," he says slowly. His hands curl into fists where they hang under the water; he doesn't seem to notice. "It was Administrator Valdana."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Ah, that explains that," Koumyou sits up a little in the water, and then leans forward to try to take Devero's fisted hands in his and draw them forward. If successful, he'll place a little kiss on each knuckle.

"You are you, and you are enough," he murmurs in between, "I promise. And I'll keep telling you that for as long as you need to hear it."

[10billionpercent]

"Thank you." Senku said simply, because he meant it although he tended to avoid saying such things.

"What happened on the mission?" He couldn't help but ask, since Inigo brought it up.

"I get the impulse to do it alone, but Gen would skin me alive."

[subcircuits]

That comment makes him raise an eyebrow, but Devero lets it pass. "We have therapeutic springs and public baths where I come from too," Devero explains with a bit of a wry look. "There's definitely an appeal."

Devero glances at himself as Otoha gestures, then looks back up. He snorts. "Their loss, then," he says easily, not taking it personally. He does regard the other man with a bit of a tilt to his head. "Why not?"

[firewalled]

"I don't think I need to know if it changed, I just wanna know when it was going to open. And how you were planning on populating this place. Where are the humans that are going to live here coming from?"

Rich might have noticed the frustration, but regrettably, it only makes him a bit more agitated himself. It almost sounds like it disapproves of being questioned...

[voidtreckernpcs]

"Most recently established percent of completion: 78.39%"

The 'humans' reference seems to slip by... but it does answer that question as well.

"The collaborators behind this project are the peoples of Sumar and Omotah."

If you expected to know anyone behind this biodome you're going to be disappointed, Rich.

[firewalled]

"Y-Yeah... I w-was planning on that. D-Don't wanna get everyone else sick too."

He stands up, though he wobbles a bit on his feet. Damn, he forgot how exhausting having a cold could be.

"S-Sorry, I should've been more careful." He doesn't really have any reason to apologize, unless he's just apologizing for making her worry...

[subcircuits]

Devero lets Koumyou take his hands and kiss them, though his fingers remain tightly clenched. He takes them back soon enough, though, and retreats to the other side of the pool.

Heavily, he sits, bracing his elbows against his knees and lowering his face into his hands, muffled into his palms. "It doesn't feel like it," he admits from behind his hands. "Everyone here is so amazing, Koumyou."

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou sinks back down past his chin in the water, long bangs splaying out on the surface once more.

"You're the only one I want to kiss, and it's not just because you're so pretty. You're wonderful, Devero. We can all see it."

[light_of_willpower]

"We have to figure out what day it is here. But...did you want me to set a date and time?" Trunks asked a bit shyly. "I think that's how it's usually done."

[nutkrusher]

"Sure," Cassie says. She steals another quick kiss.

"Whenever is fine. But it should be after the next platform stop. I think I've got some ideas on what to buy now."

[light_of_willpower]

"I look forward to it. You'll be beautiful no matter what you're wearing." Trunks murmured, content enough for the moment. Mostly. "We should go get showered, and changed into something comfier." Pulling back slightly, he tilted his head while thinking.

"Showers are probably too crowded...same for the spa. How about we meet in the quiet car? I just want to hold you for a bit."

[nutkrusher]

Cassie smiles and hums. "I do like it when we get the same idea at the same time."

[light_of_willpower]

"As much as the other two ideas are nice..." Trunks agreed, leaning forward again to kiss her. Holding it for a moment, before pulling back. Moving to hold her gloved hands with his own. "So we get a shower, I want to check on a few people, then we meet in a quiet car. And thank Glorfindel for his generous gift sometime too."

[controlsthedie]

"I don't..." Again, Thanatos thinks about how he's supposed to be more independent than Hypnos, but if Hypnos was here, he'd probably be okay. He'd adapt better than him. Thanatos always knew what to do when he had his assignments from the Fates, his mother, Lord Hades.... As long as he completed them in a timely manner, everything was fine, set along the path he was meant take. It's when he dared to stray from the tasks that he faltered, stumbled.

"... I don't know how to be anything but Death." Ryo helped him understand that he had other, possible roles, but Thanatos doesn't think he can really be them. Not very well. And even then, it doesn't matter now that he's here.

Still, Thanatos doesn't try to refute their claim again. "I'm not sure."