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

[firewalled]

"Well, I thought it was going to do all kinds of things. It said it was going to improve my life, so I mean, that's a pretty broad definition. Probably should have guessed from the fact that it was so broad that it would turn out to be too good to be true, but I was young and stupid."

And desperate. Rich can still clearly remember how he felt within a few months in the high school scene, and how badly he wished he could be anything but invisible to the world.

[happyends]

It is a little contradictory. But rather than finding any fault with the person she's talking to, Madoka does the typical thing of not blaming anyone. No, if she's going to blame anything, it's apparently the Great Societial Situation, since the girl lets out a small sigh and just says: "So it's difficult, huh.."

The world always seemed so much more simple when she was younger!!

"Or maybe I'm just a little too self-conscious? Since I have a hard time not worrying about that kind of stuff.." Apparently she feels comfortable enough with Persephone to admit as much, eyes nervously moving from the other's face to the carriage walls they're passing. "Back home I spent a lot of time each morning even just picking what ribbons to wear that day."

[springforth]

"Yeah--I just--it's stupid." She props her head in her hands.

"Food, sharing it, eating it, hosting meals and feeding guests, it's so important to mortals, to us gods for less drastic means. I can't imagine not eating." She frowns, then huffs out a sigh, "This is probably my mom talking through me. She's goddess of harvest, agriculture. This sort of thing is important to her, I Think, more so than me. You ever wake up one day and your mom is talking through you?" She sits back, smiling crookedly.

"I suspect it happens to all of us one day."

[springforth]

There's a feeling in the pit of her stomach, unsure, as she twists her hands in her lap. This has gotten into an awfully serious conversation, with someone she really doesn't know. It's weird how often that happens on the train.

"Something being normal doesn't mean it's right. But I'm glad you don't have to deal with it anymore."

[bakegarasu]

"... Yeah. People here on the train have been... well. Nicer than most people I've interacted with." It's... good. It's taken some getting used to, but it's good.

[flatteries]

He smiles a little, though there's something wry around its edges.

"I understand." Inigo hadn't thought the battle was too bad, but it sure did involve pretty much all of them being thrown in there - unlike in other scenarios, where it had been easier for people who aren't used to fighting to stay out of it. "I'd rather not have people who aren't used to fighting involved in those sorts of things either."

Not because he thinks they'd get in the way, but just because Inigo wishes to never see people hurt.

"I do hope you mean you two didn't get terribly hurt when you say you managed 'okay'." JUST MAKING SURE.. He's worried about you, Senku! You're his friend!

[flatteries]

Inigo shakes his head. "Not for sure, I think."

But then again, it's not as if the train shares a whole lot of information with them in the first place, so he's entirely unsurprised by the fact they haven't found out, even after this long.

"I assume it picks people by what task they'd be most suited for. Orange has a lot of people who are either smart or can't fight, and they often get the parts of missions that involve the least fighting. While the red team usually has the most fighting to do, but they have a lot of really strong people."

Inigo pauses, then sighs lightly. "Though even that doesn't go for all individuals in any given team." Which makes it so murky and hard to grasp.

[fivemilesdeep]

He smiles. There's a joke in there somewhere - he can't imagine not eating either, namely because it'd eventually kill him - but he doesn't manage to make it before she continues on.

The smile abruptly dies as she talks about her mother and asks about his. He...can't relate, to say the least, and there are days when it still stings, and he doesn't want to talk about it, never mind right now-

"I-" never knew my mother dies in his throat. He doesn't want to say it, and Persephone doesn't need to hear it. "Can't...say that I have," he finishes instead. It's not good enough - it's contradictory, open for questioning - but it's something.

"But- just because it's important to her doesn't mean it can't be important to you too." It's true, and also it will hopefully redirect the conversation away from him.

[azrthmtrnznthos]

"Cool." Was all Raven said, not sounding particularly intimidated or afraid. Her voice was as calm as ever, and she might've even sounded slightly impressed. "Although I can guess why you're radiating distress so strongly now."

[worthallthis]

Then there's the big question. "What is the trait for purple team?" They're both on that team, after all. And Soldat really doesn't know exactly what... that might mean. They don't seem all that similar, on the surface. So far, they seem to have more in common with the members of the red team they've spoken to.

[controlsthedie]

Raven will be able to feel how cold and guarded Thanatos becomes when she says she can guess why he's so distressed. He forces himself to look forward, to keep his face as blank as possible.

"I would keep your thoughts to yourself." Thanatos may try to sound imposing, but fear is the true emotion he's trying to stamp down.

[unfavorableinstigation]

While Nita does not stop the scritches, she does still look down the aisle toward where (presumably) Katsuya is coming up.

"Hey, Jonouchi!" she calls. "What's up?"

Aside from these two having a good time?, she presumes.

[luckydragonsfoot]

"Oh! Nita..! Jus' look'n f'r th' pokemon, have you see-"

...

He does not need an answer, especially not as he comes close enough to see the two freezing.

"....oi...."

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita just lets the scene be answer enough - because it is, really.

/If either of you two bolt, I can't guarantee the next person you find will want to pet you. ... Just a warning./

That's to the poke-escape artists, not Jonouchi, though he can probably still hear her!

[its_dad_sanzo]

"My hair!" Koumyou says upon surfacing, "I'll never recover!"

(mostly it's his player forgets there's a comms post whoops)

[its_dad_sanzo]

"Is... is that so?"

Whelp. Look, having what is essentially a radio on him at all times is pretty far outside the norm for Koumyou Sanzo. Sanzos are an independent sort of people at the best of times.

[its_dad_sanzo]

Koumyou sees that look, and actually holds his cigarette out on offer. He remembers being too new to even afford his own smokes! It sucked!

"I have plenty, if you want this one," he hasn't even taken a drag off it yet.

[bakegarasu]

He keeps laughing for a few more moments before calming down. That feels... nice. “Oh no. How will you ever go on?” He tries to keep his tone dry, but it’s hard to hide his amusement.

[irrationally]

"People do like lying to anyone who is young and stupid."

But this time she isn't saying it to insult Rich. It's just merely her using the same words he's using, because it's something she's often seen back in her own world.

Heck, people have tried doing the same to her.

"People also tried to send me to a place that messed with my head, claiming it was for my own wellbeing. It's an awful thing to say to try and sway people with." She glances ahead of them as she speaks, rather than looking sideways at him. "But unfortunately, it's often an easy lie to swallow and believe."

[azrthmtrnznthos]

"I would love to, except I'm an Empath. You've been shouting practically in my ear for at least a few days now." Raven could go cold as well, not backing down at all.

[worthallthis]

Soldat looks briefly embarrassed, mostly at being caught out, but accepts. "Thanks. I used to smoke a lot of these. Way back in the war." And they can probably afford some, they're just saving their points for important shit, like better weapons and body armor.

But it's still soothing to take the cigarette in their mouth and breathe in the smoke. It's a familiar, comforting habit.

[controlsthedie]

Thanatos stills, no longer following. If only he could just turn off his emotions... but the fear and caution seems to only grow stronger. She could be dangerous. Don't confirm anything. Don't let it get out. She can't know. This is different than telling Persephone and Ryo; he knows, trusts them with the information of what happens when Death is trapped. He doesn't know this cloaked passenger before him.

So he does the only thing he can think of in order to keep that secret safe.

He shifts to whatever end of the train is furthest from their current location.

[flatteries]

"That one's harder."

Because their missions tend to be more varied. It kind of seems like they're always just filling up the gaps left by the other teams, but thinking about their team that way seems a little depressing to Inigo, so he doesn't want to say it out loud.

"I'd say.. We're usually trying to help people? Either by protecting them through fighting, or helping repair their houses, stuff like that.."

GJFKJ it happens!!

[flatteries]

He nods.

"Really! I wouldn't say it happens every mission, but there are often important announcements being made across them.."

And look, Inigo can kind of understand it. It's why he's being gentle about this. The SCAs - and all other technology on the train - were totally new to him at first too, but he's learned to adapt through necessity.

"So, erm.. try to at least listen to the first message that comes through them? If it isn't useful, you can just ignore the rest people say after it. But often when people send out a message to everyone, it's for a good reason. In my experience, anyway."

[azrthmtrnznthos]

"Oh for the love of Azar." Raven said softly, scowling. She got it--he didn't want to deal with this. Unfortunately she didn't want to deal with his screaming despair and woe and gloom constantly. The others who had problems were all quieter--she could shove 'em to the background. His was constant, and she wasn't able to tune it out.

Fine--she could teleport too.

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos!" Raven's soul self manifested briefly, as she focused on following that emotional beacon. Reappearing wherever he was. "Look, normally I'm all for privacy..."