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

(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."

Absolutely more thoughtful than unhappy. Soldat feels no urge whatsoever to partner up with anybody in that sense right now, and frankly that seems like it's easier. Everything they've heard of sex and romance since the early days of dance halls and spinning girls around them, before the war, seems messy and painful. Also, way too much touching.

"Yeah, I'm not worried. I'm also pretty sure nobody's actually flirted with me since, well, ever. Since I was a dumb kid. Maybe people can tell I'm not on the market." They wrinkle up their nose with half a smile, remembering the slang. "As it were."

The soup is gone now, and they're looking around sleepily, wondering if they can get away with just leaving the dishes in the sink for someone else, just this once. "I should get back to bed, I think."

Inigo's gaze quickly shifts between the dishes and Soldat, before settling on the latter's face.

"You should." Before he just falls over. It seemed pretty likely to happen earlier. And then, as if he read their thoughts, Inigo adds: "Don't worry about the dishes, I'll do them."

He's not particularly whining about doing chores when it really matters, after all. And it feels more important to him to get them in bed than to have to wash a few dishes.

"I'll go with you to your cabin first," Inigo says, getting up. There's something determined in his voice, like he's leaving no room for protesting. He won't have it! "Come on!"

The first is a relief-- thank god, no dishes to deal with right now-- and the second a surprise. They blink a couple times, though they do set the bowl down and push up from the counter. "You don't have to walk me. It's okay. I can make it down the train without keeling over, I'm pretty sure."

"Well, I think walking through the train once isn't going to kill me. Or I would have died a long time ago."

You're not getting rid of him that easily, Soldat! Sure, he'd back down if the other had a legitimate reason, or really seemed bothered by it.. But this isn't the first time Inigo has had that response from someone, just because they don't want others to bother for them.

"So let's just go! More talking means less sleep time, don't you know?"

"Okay, okay." They're not going to argue with him. If there's one thing Soldat will never turn down, it's company. They look kind of sleepily amused by the insistence, holding up both hands in mock-surrender, and they just start their meander towards the dining car, in the direction of the sleepers.

Does Inigo only seem even more pleased that they're not putting up much of a struggle about this?

Yes, he sure does. Look, in the end all of this is just a good thing since he's doing it for Soldat's own wellbeing - but it's kind of nice to know that he sometimes can convince people pretty quickly, okay. Even if it's just because they're too sleepy to get into it. Although 'pleased' mostly translates into giddiness for Inigo. He looks a little like an excited kid, despite his age.

"You're going to make sure to get some full sleep, right? You can't just take a nap with how sleepy you seem!"

He really does remind Soldat of Sora, so much, for a moment it's almost painful how much they miss that kid, and they have to pause and steady themselves against the train car's door frame to let the wave of it roll over them before they can continue. Homesickness so strong it actually feels a little like sickness.

"Yes," they promise, a little vaguely, as they start moving again. "I don't usually have nightmares when I'm like this. I'll sleep until my stomach demands more food." Though hopefully by then they'll be properly awake.

"That's good," he says. Of course Inigo notices the way Soldat stops like that for a moment, but he's really just blaming it on how fatigued the other seems rather than it being an actual different problem - especially since they don't seem to address it either before they're already moving on.

The mention of nightmares is pretty candid, but nothing new to Inigo thanks to what he learned during Bucky's stay on the train. And while he can't offer the solution he used back then as readily as he could now.. Inigo still can't help but pipe up.

"And.. well. If you're ever worried about nightmares, I've found that it helps when you're holding something while sleeping..?" Or at the very least, that's what works against Inigo's own nightmares. "I have a huge stuffed dragon plush, if you'd ever want to borrow it. It works wonders."

They give a tiny little smile, at that. That's sweet. Probably not that helpful, but sweet. "I used to have a little stuffed. Owl person. Back in Beacon. All knitted with a little carved wood mask. This big." They hold their hands about a foot apart. "It never really helped, exactly, but it was still cute." There was Eleven's rag lion, too, that they made her, and that they recovered after they lost Eleven. Soldat understands at least some of the benefits of plushies.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

icon keywords not applicable, just wanted the expression

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject