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

[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]

"Ah...Can I tell you a secret? This is the most shopping I've ever done in my entire life. At home, our clothing was just sort of--basic. You could add details or different ways to do the sleeves and top but it was all basic white and sleeveless. I went shopping with a friend when I moved out but he picked everything out for me."

She shrugs, "So I get being self conscious. Though, for me it's more 'does this look good together' than 'do people judge me to wearing this'? Though I guess it's kind of the same thing?"

[happyends]

".. I think it's kind of similar.."

But there's a slight pause before Madoka says it. Because that secret? It definitely surprises her. Enough so that she's still lingering on it for a moment after she's already spoken up. Enough so that she has to actually address it-- though she's keeping the volume of her voice low, like Madoka is taking this whole 'secret' thing very seriously. She doesn't want anyone to overhear!

"But.. you really haven't gone shopping much before? I.. I mean, I don't know if I can speak for anyone else.. But I think your outfits look really fashionable on you! I thought you were used to putting together outfits like that back home too!"

[springforth]

"Nooo, never. Well, like I said, once. I mean, I've gone shopping once or twice with my mom for things to wear while visiting Olympus and once with my friend who bought everything. But I'm not really used to putting together outfits. Even most of what I wear here is things that came in an outfit, or I'm just guessing. Matching colors."

It's kind of cute, how serious Madoka takes it, so she lowers her voice in response, "Back home I was just wearing whatever outfits my friend bought me. It was mostly dresses so it's not hard to match them and they were usually white or pink so it's not like--like all the colors in these outfits."

[happyends]

Listen to that lowered voice! Madoka is all caught up in the other's response. It really does feel like they're sharing a secret here, and for a moment Madoka's hands are pretty much just pressed to her mouth as she listens, entirely at attention. Just soaking up all this secret knowledge Persephone is giving her.

"I see.." It's odd, imagining a place where clothing is so simple that there's no matching to be done, but then again.. Madoka has heard of much weirder places on this train by now, hasn't she. "Your friend sounds really nice if he went out of his way to buy clothes for you. My friends never bought clothes for me!"

.. Madoka pauses, seeming to only now realise how that sounds. The girl gasps, and quickly continues.

"N-Not that it's a bad thing! They're really nice to me..! Um, it's just.. buying clothes can sometimes get a little expensive, right.." And Madoka, being a middle schooler, obviously only has middle school aged friends. Not exactly the types who have a lot of money for that.

[springforth]

"Oh--no it's okay, I don't think badly of your friends, really. I was sort of shocked when he did it, but I think he just wanted me to have things that didn't stand out, so that I fit in and looked good."

And that's part of why she misses him. He knows her secret, the thing she hid, and he cares about her. Not for romance or as a project, just because he's a friend and he likes her and he wants to see her succeed. Setting her up to succeed, in life, romance, so on--that's just how he does friends. She shakes her head.

"I kind of tried to insist he didn't, but you know how some friends are. They want to treat you, regardless."