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

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Of course," Koumyou doesn't even hesitate to give that answer, even though he has no idea what Devero's going to ask. He finally peels his face away from Devero's neck to sit up a bit, swiping at his own face with wet hands.

[subcircuits]

Devero had meant maybe in a day or two when they'd recovered, but Soldat's words make him evaluate them closely for a moment before he nods. Knowing what he knows about Soldat, he's going to take that phrase 'not as likely to throw you into a wall' 100% at face value.

"I'm free," he says, standing as he does. "I know where there's some tools and supplies we should be able to use. Follow me."

[subcircuits]

Devero doesn't ask right away, but that's only because he's absolutely taking the opportunity to wash Koumyou's face clear of tears the same way the priest had done for him. Only once he's done that does he say, hesitantly, "...Earlier, it seemed like you-- you were asking if I thought I could handle you as a teacher. Did you...mean that?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou holds still for it, and offers Devero a wobbly little smile once his face has been cleaned off in turn. The question makes Koumyou glance down and away, but only because he has to really think about it for a moment.

"I... I think so. Yes."

But he's quick to add, "Your reason for turning me down is perfectly... good. Maybe I can... help you find someone else to teach this stuff to you? Or something. You should learn what you want to learn. You should! You just... should get to do it... safely."

Unlike Koumyou.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Mm, not always, no. When I arrived it was in a lot of cold fog."

Really cold fog, he'd hated it.

"But if a platform is sunny there's no reason you can't hang out outside for a while and soak it up."

[subcircuits]

"What if... I wanted to try with you...?" He actually squirms a little on the ledge, little ripples rolling away from him, as if embarrassed to have changed his mind so immediately. In a rush, he adds, "I think it might be good for both of us."

[bakegarasu]

"... Still feel blank. Probably better." He's breathing better, at least. He doesn't feel like he's choking anymore. There's still static in his ears and a weird flatness to his voice, though. "You were just trying to eat and then sleep. Fucked it up."

[bakegarasu]

"Probably the better option." He's quiet for a few long moments, just enjoying the water, before he speaks up again.

"Why did you say there's more than two genders?"

[its_dad_sanzo]

"I've always found... teachers who don't hurt their students so... admirable," Koumyou tells him quietly. So, so quietly, like it's a horrible secret that he's confessing. "But I don't know if that's me."

He's always told everyone, his own son included, that he's just not suited to teach anything more important than origami airplanes. And as a result, his son has become a Sanzo at age thirteen with almost none of the training he needs.

"...Like you with your neoteks, I'm sure," Koumyou adds, glancing up with a weak smile, "I'm positive you're brilliant with them."

Between knowing Devero so well by now, knowing how he handles younger people, and knowing the name one of his own students had dubbed the man's exo with, he's certain of that. Devero is one of those admirable, rare teachers.

[subcircuits]

"Oh, I'm not a--" Devero starts in automatic denial, because to him, teachers work in creches. They teach kids. It's a revered, well respected career in his world, and the vices know he's not respectable.

But he stops himself dead. Maybe he's not a teacher, but what does he do with his neos if not teach them how to use their new equipment? Hadn't he, on his very first day here, sat down at Eight's side and talked her through how he was troubleshooting her sticky hydraulics problem? Hadn't he sat with mountainous patience and let Romeo learn how to paint fingernails, with his own nails as the kid's canvas? (Much of that purple varnish is still visible, though the coat's taking a beating over the course of the mission.)

Maybe... the only reason he hadn't become a teacher was because no one had told him it was an option for him. His own teachers had pushed him so hard to go into the Guard that he'd never really considered anything else.

So he smiles shyly, and ducks his head, and says, "Thank you, Koumyou."

But he looks up again right away. "...Have you ever... actually tried?" he asks.

[its_dad_sanzo]

"I've never dared," Koumyou answers honestly, looking down again.

"I'm the last of the Taisouji students. And the monks who trained me before then weren't much kinder. If I ended up being anything like... like Master Zouryou, or his kind, I don't know if I could live with that."

He's staring down at his hands in particular, which slowly knot together.

"My oldest scars are from my time as a student. And you've seen how... how wrong my instincts are."

Devero was completely right to turn him down, and Koumyou knows it.

[worthallthis]

Good. They're going to try that next platform, then, provided it's not raining or something. "Last place I was. There was no sun. There was no light except the stars and these." They nudge the shuttered-tight lantern by their knee, with a toe. "I miss it."

[worthallthis]

"So what. You're." They pause, brace themselves for possible rejection, and say, "You're my friend. That's what you do for friends. You put things down to help them when they need it. You'd do the same for me."

i'm going to place this convo after our combat thread if that's okay! i can change if not!

[runsfast_rollsfar]

Prisoner takes his seat next to them and doesn't bother 'looking' at them as they spoke, instead just kind of seeming to direct his gaze up to the source of the light, though his gaze does shift to the lantern when Soldat mentions and nudges it. The gaze shifts out of curiosity to Soldat as he fishes his tablet out. Gingerly he takes the tablet, just as careful as the first time. As such, he types.

If I didn't know any better I'd - for a moment - think the place you were last was the Forgotten Sepulcher on the island if it was truly so dark. If that were the case you'd be quite a bit less alive though.

I miss the wind from standing atop the ramparts of the castle. Leaning over the stone as the wind blew the smell of rot and fire away while the sun set. Could've been beautiful in a different circumstance.

[worthallthis]

They lever themselves out of the seat, too, and scoots over the aisle seat. "Are all train cars so. Awkward," they ask, mostly rhetorically, as they finally get into the aisle, pausing only to bend back into the row and collect their lantern from where it'd been sitting, protected, behind their feet. It gets slung on its strap over their shoulder, and they're ready to follow.

[subcircuits]

Devero reaches through the water and covers Koumyou's knotted hands with one of his own. "But you weren't... you weren't trying to teach me, then," he says slowly. "That wasn't a lesson. That was-- that was you trying to just fucking-- get through to me, when all I was doing was shutting you out. When I was trying to hurt you, because I didn't want to see what you were trying to show me."

He draws his hand back and looks away, curling in a little on himself before he can say, "...It was still the wrong thing to do. But-- but you know that now, right?"

He swings his gaze right back over, though he remains hunched on the ledge. "I think you're going to surprise yourself, if you try," he tells Koumyou quietly. "And I--" If anything, his voice goes quieter. "I don't want to learn magic from anyone but you."

[blue_ice]

"...you had an interesting life, that's for certain."

Kaiba sometimes wonders what it would be like to have two lifetimes inside him like that. He considers himself lucky the priest doesn't haunt him. But would it be that different.

"Though...I have a question, if you might have an answer. About reincarnation and memory."

[blue_ice]

And there's Kaiba clinging to the bars, squinting up at him.

"When did you get there."

[luckydragonsfoot]

"Nyh? Question?" Ah, well-

"Uhh, shoot. I dunno that it'll really be a great answer, but I can try. Jus' keep 'n mind th's is kinda still 'newish' f'r me, by like...a few months."

[its_dad_sanzo]

What a pair they are, hunched in on themselves with one on the other's lap.

"You said you can't trust yourself to stop me if I go too far," Koumyou whispers, "that's... that's such a good reason to not."

Not learn from Koumyou, that is.

"But you should... you... magic could be so amazing for you! And I really wouldn't be upset to see you learn it from someone... safe, I promise."

[comefadeaway]

"I...yes, alright." Yoite agreed that Ichigo could have his back if he liked.

"I don't know what I should say to people." It would be awkward wouldn't it, to just walk up to someone and say that?

[magicurls]

Mami listens, intent. Even in the middle of her own distress, she can see that Madoka still worries about it.

"So our life...is inside the gem. If I lose it, I'm dead."

Something important to know. She clenches the fist bearing the ring. But she looks back at Madoka after a moment.

"If not even an experienced magical girl knew, you couldn't have. You wanted to protect her."

Soft breath. But then...something about that story piqued her interest.

"Another magical girl fought her? I know Homura and I clashed once or twice over the territory, but who else would move in...?"

[magicurls]

"...well, yes. If it's not my heart keeping me alive, and my brain functions are all in here instead of my head...that's it, right?"

She really doesn't want to demonstrate.

"I suppose I can still help the healer team, if being treated by me doesn't scare people."

[strawberryprotector]

Ichigo beamed at Yoite for that. He knew it was a big step for the young man to accept any help. "Well, who all are you close to on the train? Who do you interact with the most? I can help you tell them, if you like."

[subcircuits]

"Because there are."

Devero had been hoping Otoha would come back to him on this, and he sits up again in the water. "Where I'm from, we understand that there's more to gender than just male and female." He holds both hands up out of the water, palms up as if presenting the two options. He brings those palms together and then spreads them apart again, describing an arc in the air. "There's so much in between those two options, and beyond them."