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

[knifewithnoname]

It had been a strange ending but she sensed that this was something more. Something more personal to Mami. She moved closer and set the items down, carefully pouring tea before asking with a head tilt.

"You do no be being?" She was someone else? How was that possible? "Who do you be being?"

[happyends]

"Ah, that's.."

That's awkward to admit, for one. Because Madoka is very much aware that said 'accident' was entirely her fault, and it feels really, really stupid in retrospective. And then to tell Mami about that, someone she admires to some extent.. It's hard.

But it's not like she can lie about this now, after everything else. So even though Madoka's expression only seems to drop further, she does explain.

"I.. I wanted to prevent Sayaka-chan from fighting with another magical girl. So I threw away her Soul Gem, since I thought it'd keep her from being able to transform.. A-and she just fell down. Homura-chan got it back for her.."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"I've known quite a few young monks with shaved heads. I swear some of them even polish their scalp!"

Koumyou's always here to make fun of other monks.

"They probably just like the traditional look. It's not for me, though."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"I sure did!"

...

That's right that's his whole answer. Goddamned troll.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"I mean... maybe it couldn't fit?"

Koumyou's giving Choochoo-chan that much benefit of the doubt, at least. But that raises another possibility, as he tries to squeeze his way free of the group--

"But I don't see why it couldn't wait a few days for everyone to march back... or at least space out the evacuations!"

gym

[its_dad_sanzo]

Kaiba gets a few rounds in on his obstacle course before someone's suddenly applauding him from... on top of the climbing frame??

"Wow! You look so determined!"

There's that damn priest, just perched atop the frame like nothing at all is unusual here.

Recovery in the 'sun'

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou was the one caught napping all over the train after the previous mission, and he's likely to do a bit of it again now. There's always a chance he'll doze off somewhere weird, recent mission or not.

It just, you know, adds to the risk when he's actually done a lot of marching and fighting recently!

"It's not, no," Koumyou responds to that statement, sounding just as sad about it.

And then he just...

Plops down somewhere in talking range to... do the same thing, maybe. Complete with a huge yawn into one bony hand.

This is the fucking nap car now, fight him.

[bakegarasu]

"Yeah, you'd probably look weird with a shaved head. Meanwhile I'm probably going to keep this look for a few hundred years, knowing me."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"I would look super weird and I would super hate it," Koumyou declares accordingly. But as to the few hundred years crack... "What, you don't think you'll get bored?"

[flatteries]

That's definitely more important to him here! Who cares whether what he's saying makes sense or not, as long as it's keeping Nita happy and her thoughts occupied with things he'd rather have her think of.

"How about running them all with one heart?" He makes sure to say it in the absolute most cheesy way, a grin plastered on his face.

[bakegarasu]

"I mean, no idea how much my body is preserved like it is. I didn't exactly get to chitchat with my predecessor when my first mission was to kill him."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Well, there's always wigs," Koumyou points out cheerfully, "if you get too terribly bored."

[bakegarasu]

"I... guess? Or a hat. All yurine wear goggles for some reason, so why shouldn't I get a hat?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Or both!"

Yes good, let's get Koumyou fixated on how you'd look with different wigs and hats, Otoha. This could never end poorly.

[bakegarasu]

He snorts and splashes a little water towards Koumyou. "I'm not so eager to play dressup yet. I have two outfits I like and that's about it."

Hm. "Maybe I should see if I can buy my other outfit."

[flatteries]

Talking? Well, that much Inigo can do. And it means he can linger around here for a few more moments to make sure they really do sit down once they're done with all this.

"Relatively well, I'd say?" No one got hurt, after all. At least, not in any serious way. It seems a few people got off much worse at the end of the last mission. "If anything, I would say the first half of the mission was just really mind-numbing. We had to traverse such a huge place to get to that tree, and the ground underneath us was constantly shifting, and walls kept popping up out of nowhere. It was more of a maze than any kind of battle."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Wow, two whole outfits?"

It is a joke but it also isn't. Koumyou's only willingly worn the one uniform for the last twenty three years, and before that he wore whatever temple uniform was relevant.

[bakegarasu]

"At least in the winter. When it's warmer I switch to something a little lighter, but I still cover up. I don't sweat much so it's not like I smell bad."

[firewalled]

"Ah, right... I guess I didn't think about that. It's gonna be a problem for our training if I don't eat."

He isn't super hungry, but he'll at least pick up the tortilla. Protein is important!

cw abuse trauma

[subcircuits]

For several long, long moments Devero just clings to Koumyou, an occasional tremor shaking him while he grapples with the priest's words.

"I don't think I know h-how to just... be," he admits finally, in a low, wretched murmur. "I think I've always had to be something for... for somebody....? Be the good example for the other kids, be-- be the guy on the team who's always r-right where he's supposed to be during the game. Be-- be the reliable guy."

He picks his face up out of Koumyou's hair because of course, of course the tears are coming, and he doesn't want to snot in his boyfriend's bangs. He inhales, deep but shaky, trying to control his emotions--

Failing.

"Be the guy who picks up the slack. Leave it to Dev," he continues, and he's actually starting to sound a little... angry. "He'll get it done. He can carry the weight, what's another thing on his plate, right? He'll always do his part, so it's okay if we don't do ours!"

He releases Koumyou with a movement that's almost convulsive, rearing up straight and then slamming his arm and fisted hand down hard along the edge of the pool. "All I've ever wanted is to do my part, and-- and--"

And not feel invisible while he does it. Not feel like he's being taken for granted, or even worse taken advantage of. That was how Valdana had been able to sink her claws in so deep, to pull him so close to her malice. She'd offered him the tiniest flickers of validation and like a brainless little moth, he'd thrown himself into her flame.

He can't quite articulate that part, even if it's looming large in his mind. And even if he could, isn't it selfish to want to be petted and praised for just doing what any good citizen should do? All of the ire seems to go out of him at once and he just sort of slumps, even the arm still holding Koumyou drooping loosely down.

"I don't know what my part to do is, here," he finishes, just sounding wretched again. It can't really be just to be, can it?

[bakegarasu]

"I mean... you should eat, anyway. If you're sick your body's going to use up energy trying to heal."

He nudges Rob gently. "Don't want you getting sicker."

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Devero," Koumyou reaches up to wipe at those tears with his hands, freshly wet with hot pool water. "You did great on the mission, remember? The reason we're all ostensibly here? You're already doing more... more than enough. And even if you hadn't, you'd still be more than enough to me."

He dips his hands into the pool to get fresh, hot water, and continues to carefully try to wipe Devero's face clean with his fingers.

"Even if you don't know how to just... be you. That's something you can figure out, right? There's time, here. You should use some of it for you, too."

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita snickers, before it bubbles over into laughter. Part hysterics, part joy.

"That'll do it for sure!"

It's a minute or so before she settles down again; shoulders relaxed, she smiles right at him.

"... Thanks. I really needed that."

[subcircuits]

Devero hasn't had someone to take care of him since he got out of creche. Things had... maybe... been moving in that direction with Alejane, but then he'd gotten Ále's leg fucking shattered and of course his friend hadn't talked to him again after that, especially once he got discharged from the Guard.

So the way Koumyou tenderly washes the mess of Devero's grief and anger off of his face just makes him fall even more in love with the priest, really. He closes his eyes and tilts his head a little into Koumyou's ministrations.

The idea of using time for himself shouldn't seem as revolutionary as it does to someone who comes from his world, but Devero's been running from his own problems for years by just giving himself progressively more to do. Physical training, training in Babysitter, training recruits. Helping Chihyoon run the field testing side of things for Techstead's big equipment developments. Apprenticing with Morraine, learning engineering and design, taking over doing all the maintenance and upgrades on his exo... If he doesn't give himself time to think in a day, of course he won't think about how lonely and miserable he is.

Since coming to the train, it feels like all he's had is time to think. No wonder he's been such a wreck.

He opens his eyes again to meet Koumyou's. "Will... will you help me? Figure it out?" he asks. He already knows the answer, but he just... he needs to hear it.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Of course," Koumyou confirms, meeting his gaze, "anything I can do to help you, it's yours."

Much like the priest himself.

"You don't have to carry things alone anymore."