middleofsomewhere | 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Don't think anyone's useless," Soldat points out. (Well. Okay, a couple people are useless. But not people who don't want to be. Okay, fair.) But they're already guessing: "Your qi thing didn't work on the holograms either?" It didn't work on robots, so probably not on other non-living combatants.

"It wouldn't have, no, but I prepared for that. I have weapons now."

Yoite didn't brandish them, or show them off and they weren't immediately visible either. He wasn't an elite ninja for nothing.

"I got scolded for a lack of situational awareness. And he was right."

Oh, good. Soldat doesn't need to see them; they're just glad he has them. Their own couple of knives are pretty well-hidden.

They tilt their head at the admission, then nod. "Well, that's fixable," Soldat says, unperturbed by it. "That's a thing you can train up."

He sighed a little, slumping in on himself. "I don't know that I can." He frowned.

"No." He shook his head. "I have to."

"You can. I promise. I have trained people in observation and situational awareness." They tilt their head at him. They'll have to adjust their lessons for his deafness, but they're sure they can do that, especially if he can still smell. "I can help. If you want."

"I..." Yoite began and pressed his lips together. The problem was that he didn't exactly have the best experience with trainers.

But, maybe, he could use the help.

"...Okay, it would be helpful."

Soldat grins, relieved, after that long pause. "Good. Okay, good. First part, it's easy. Every day, you walk through the train. Same time every day, don't care when, you can pick a time to tell me. And you count everything I tell you to look for that day. Or smell for. Or touch. Then you tell me, after, what you found. I tell you what you missed, if anything. Teaches you to be alert."

That's the simplest part, a way to start. Their other ideas, for how to compensate for the loss of hearing in an actual battle, they'll start on when he's had some time to get settled into just observing.

"That sounds good but..." Yoite paused, not that he wanted to argue with someone trying to help him.

"I don't know what the time is on the train." He admitted.

Ah, well. Not everyone has a handy tablet with a clock in it, they suppose. "We all wake up at exactly the same time every morning," Soldat offers. "Pick a number of hours after that. Or a certain amount of hours before bedtime. It doesn't have to be exact."

That was true, at the same time every day Yoite woke up, and then he usually made his way to get something to eat, because of Ichigo's suggestions.

"Okay. Maybe..." He paused. "Four hours after I wake up?"

"Sounds perfect," they say, sitting back, satisfied. They'll have plenty of time before then make their own trek through the train, to maybe set up some things for Yoite to find if there aren't a lot of the day. "You want me to get you anything else, while you're in here?" Nodding to his half-eaten omelet and untouched juice. "I've got some crackers with an interesting texture I could bring out."

The reminder that he was supposed to be eating was enough for him to take another bite. He considered that and nodded a bit. "Crackers?"

They might be more interesting to him. It wasn't that he didn't want to eat, it was just a different kind of challenge.

"Yeah. They've got this kinda weave thing-- hang on, I'll get you some. Be right back, okay?" They pick themselves up, already plotting on getting some soft cheese and the ever-present avocado slices for stacking with the crackers, for Yoite. That has to be an interesting texture combination, he's sure of it.

"Okay." Yoite said, turning his head to watch what he was doing a little curiously. He picked up the juice in the meantime and sipped at it a few times.

They disappear into the kitchen car for a moment, and then beyond that into the storage car, and come trotting back a couple minutes later with a plate of triscuit-type crackers, some slices of swiss cheese, and a sliced-up avocado minus the pit.

"Here we go. Layer these up. Cracker, fruit, cheese. See how the textures do for you," they say, setting the plate next to the omelet.

Yoite tilted his head a moment and looked at them curiously. He followed the instructions and picked up a cracker, put a piece of avocado on it and a piece of cheese.

He took a bite.

The cracker was crunchy and the avocado was soft, the cheese was a bit chewy. It didn't smell very strongly but it was different.

"...It's good, I think."

They'll figure out strong smells next time, maybe spend some points once they have them for some stronger-smelling cheese. Textures they can do now, without having to cook anything or work out good combinations.

This is enough, for now, and Yoite gets the best smile yet, even for that lukewarm compliment. "Good. That's real good. You eat that, yeah? Bet you'll feel better with a full stomach. And I'll work out some good recipes for you, for the future."

Yoite will return the smile, he can smile, he just rarely has a reason to, but he nods in agreement.

"I can eat it." It's more interesting than...well completely nothing which is a very strange way to eat, and it would help him with the project Ichigo had given him to eat more.

Soldat hesitates a beat, then gives Yoite's shoulder a gentle, careful pat before stepping back. "I need to get back to the kitchen. I'll come back for the plates, okay? And I'll look for you tomorrow. For your observation lessons."

Conclusion

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