middleofsomewhere | Conclusion

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

".. This whole spirit business sounds fairly complicated."

Understatement of the year, but it just feels like the right way to sum things up here. Because the things they're saying are giving Inigo so many questions.

"Why were they leaving you?"

"What is death to a dead thing." Soldat doesn't like the saying, but it's the basis of the explanation. "Older spirits got more dangerous. So some of the spirits joined the northern lights every year, before they could turn. Can't really say... killed themselves. They were already dead. It was a happy thing, for them."

This part is a little more understandable to Inigo.

But it still leaves him silent. He already got this idea a little from when he and Soldat spoke before, just by some slight mentions of the place they were in before this one.

"It sounds.. like you were stuck in a dark place before you got here. A rough place."

What else is Inigo supposed to think about a world that sounded like it revolved entirely about death?

Edited 2021-02-08 20:38 (UTC)

Soldat smiles faintly. "I mean. You're not wrong. The whole world was literally dark and dead. Including me. The only light came from the stars and our lanterns. And the bonfire. It wasn't all bad, though. I learned a lot of good things. Had good people helping me."

They close their eyes a moment, thinking of Misty, Javert, Sora and Pudding. Rosinante, even. Then they have to open them hastily before they drift into sleepy confusion again. "Shoulda seen me when I first showed up there. Hardly talked at all. Looked for orders from everyone. Didn't hardly know what food was let alone. How to make it."

"I can imagine," Inigo says.

Because he really can. Because he saw what Soldat must have been like, back when they first showed up there. Like that time he saw Bucky in a dream, his eyes empty, entirely unresponsive. Was that what Soldat had been like at first? In that case..

".. you came far." It must have been a true uphill struggle to get from that to the way Soldat acts now. If Inigo didn't know what he does about the other, he wouldn't ever have been able to guess they were ever anything but a normal person - metal arm or not.

The thought tugs up the corners of Inigo's lips.

"I'm really glad those people were there for you, you know."

It helps that what issues Soldat has left, they're very good at masking unless specifically set off by something. And Inigo hasn't had the chance to see that yet. Lucky Inigo.

"I was very lucky that the people in Beacon were kind," they agree soberly, and turn off the stove. The soup is plenty done, now, and it's time to eat. At last. "If they weren't kind, and didn't want to help me. It could have been very bad for me."

Even if Soldat may not be the same person Inigo knew before, he still can't help but offer up some silent gratitude towards the people in Beacon in his heart. No version of them should have to suffer - or suffer anymore than they have already, anyway.

But that's exactly what Inigo is trying to make sure of here. Even if said suffering might only currently be as bad as 'dropping asleep in the kitchen'. But still.

"There are a lot more kind people around than the world sometimes makes it seem like," he says, a small smile on his face.

Inigo knows what it feels like sometimes. That sometimes there's so much evil in the world that it feels hard to feel the light. But he won't stop chasing it.

"People must have been nice to you here too, right?"

"Oh, yeah, they really have been," Soldat agrees, holding the soup bowl to their mouth rather than fussing with a spoon. That would take too long and be too much effort to deal with given his current brain capacity. "I don't. Trust easy. But people here make it hard to not trust."

"Yes, they're like that, aren't they."

Judging by the smile on his face, Inigo understands. Although he's definitely a bit easier with the trusting than they are - but it's still hard not to see how nice everyone here on the train is.

(Like Inigo here, who is nice enough to not mind at all that Soldat is drinking that soup like a barbarian.)

"I've heard some of the people on the red team tend to be a little.. eccentric, but I'm glad you seem to have had an alright time with them all the same."

(They're starving and half-asleep, let them ignore manners just this once.)

The idea that red team is "eccentric" brings a small smile over the soup bowl rim, though. "They're not so bad. Maybe I'm used to eccentric." It's not like they don't have a wide, weird array of friends from Beacon. The people here aren't exactly tame, but they're not too shocking. "Do we know how the train picks teams?"

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.

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.

"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.."

Oh. Oh, okay. "Yeah, all right, that fits," Soldat can say after a blink. (You don't fucking say. Shut up, Sarge, you're just as bad as I am.) "Fighting, or repairing, or making sure everyone stays fed, yeah?" That comes with a lop-sided smile, considering the last time they caught up together.

Inigo nods.

First it's a general nod, but then slowly - and visibly, since it's reflected in the expression on the boy's face - Inigo seems to realise what exactly he means by that. Particularly by that last part he adds. It even makes Inigo laugh a little.

Mostly since he's just glad. He's glad they understand they can do good things. Positive things.

"Exactly. It seems like you're a true purple team member at heart." Even preparing food for them before they even left! "I always think it's a really sweet quality in other people. People who are good at taking care of the people around them."

"If you're here, on the purple team, then you must have that trait, too," Soldat says, looking kind of fondly amused. "So that must mean you're sweet, too." They might be teasing. Just a little tiny bit.

Hah! You think that tease is going to work against him, Soldat? Clearly Inigo is a hardened individual, one who won't buckle so easily under a tease, and..

.. It's working already. His cheeks are starting to turn pink.

"W-Well!" He sputters, clearly flustered, no matter how small that tease may have been. As if Inigo is just that weak to it. "I think people would assume that thing much more easily about me.."

He has that Soft Boy Look about him, after all.

"You're the type who looks much more cool instead!" Don't mind him saying 'cool' like he's some 70 year old grandpa. It's fine.

Soldat chuckles over their soup bowl. Perfect reaction, Inigo, they love it. "I don't look cool, I look scary," they correct, still not seriously. "It's great for lecturing idiot kids who do stupid things." That's not even true, either: Sora and Fjord had never really taken their threats seriously after going off on their own and almost getting killed.

"You're not scary."

Inigo will definitely correct that correction! No matter whether it's a joke or not. He won't let them call themselves that even jokingly - the mere suggestion of it apparently isn't allowed anywhere near Soldat.

Especially since Inigo's cheeks get a bit more puffy as he says it, like a little kid throwing a huffy tantrum. All pouty.

"You couldn't scare me if you tried! I know there's a great person in there. And you're handsome enough on the outside too, you know!"

Their brows go right up. "Handsome. That's what you're goin' with?" But there's a sleepy kind of smirk going, now. Inigo reminds them so much of Sora, right now. They're already thinking of origami frogs. Adorable.

That reply does absolutely nothing to make Inigo's pout disappear.

"Of course!" Look, Inigo likes to at least think he can tell handsome people apart when he sees them.. Although he may be a bit quicker to hand out the compliment than most people would be.

But that's just since he wants people to be able to accept that about themselves, especially when he's run into so many who didn't. "Are you saying you're not?"

They consider the answer there, and then finally say, "I never really thought about it. I always do try to look my best. Even in these awful things." They pluck at the shoulder of the violently purple hoodie. "But that's just cuz it made me feel nicer. Didn't really think about what other people might think."

"Well.. I guess I'm letting you know it now, then."

He doesn't mind being the first to say it! Granted, he's glad enough already that Soldat is doing stuff to make themselves feel better, but Inigo also thinks he well deserves it to be aware of how others may perceive it too.

Though his tone takes on a bit more of a teasing edge to it as he says, "Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised if someone had tried to flirt with you already here on the train!"

They frown thoughtfully. "You think so? You'd think I'd have noticed." They have... some memories... of the person they used to be flirting. Being flirted with. Surely they do. It feels right, anyway. "Guess I'd better start paying attention. I'm not really. I'm not interested in that sort of thing. Wouldn't want to lead anybody on."

"Ah.."

That small sound first escapes Inigo when he hears them say that they aren't interested in that sort of thing - mostly since he's hoping he didn't make it awkward for them by even just joking about people being interested in them. Thankfully he thinks the response seems more thoughtful than anything else..?

(Besides, it kind of makes sense. With everything they've been through, getting some romance going must not be very high on their priority list.)

"Well, I'm sure the people here would understand it if you told them that. Don't worry about it."

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