The Will to Fight: Conclusion

[voidtreckermods]

The battles rage loud and ferocious at the gates of the city and off in the ruined wastelands of Erda, and on the walls a struggle of a different kind occurs. The team who stayed behind at the towers are small but determined as they move stoically across the walls to right the stones that have become misaligned, even as their friends battle not too far away.

The city begins to hum. It's a quiet hum, not loud enough to be heard out where the others are fighting but it vibrates even through stone. The recovering monks assure them that it is done, the wards are back up and no demon will be able to enter the city.

Eventually the battle is won, all three battles. The demons fought back and killed, a major blow to their gate system that will keep them back for hopefully a long time. Those waiting in the caverns return to the city and by the time they get there the illusions are gone. Everyone can see the world for what it really is.

But despite the ruins of their world the people are relieved, the adrenaline of the fight coursing through their veins and the mood is one of hope. They will build again, their people will survive.

All Voidtreckers please return to the Voidtrecker Express. Departure will be in a few hours

It has landed not too far from the city, cloaked to make it unnoticeable to the citizens, for all the good that does. No one has been particularly subtle this last week. People can begin regrouping, packing up the camp and getting any wounded not already healed to the train.

However roughly half an hour later another message appears on their SCA.

Passenger Persephone has requested we remain on system System #86525656412355 for an additional day to further assist the people of Erda. The Voidtrecker Express will depart on the morning of Day Fifteen of the month of Kazoo.

The train remains where it is, so the voidtreckers can use its facilities. There is definitely a lot that can be done to assist those of this world and the citizens will welcome any helping hands.

After an extra day they finally depart, returning to the void once more.

(OOC Note: Once the wards are up any characters who are demonic in nature will not be able to enter the city either!)

Comments

Merwen OTA

[theimpatientone]

She feels sick. The battle, the sounds, the smells, the entire experience, has been (putting it mildly) uncomfortable. It's brought up a lot of very awful memories, and at the first opportunity she's taken off all of these awful clothes and retreated into the Greenhouse car, where she kneels on the ground amidst the plants and goes into a trance. The lavender of her skin bleaches to a pale white, her eyes are covered with a pearly third eyelid, and she doesn't seem to be breathing noticeably.

And, maybe, if someone wanders into the room, they might catch her coming out of that trance, waking up, drawing air into her lungs and her skin flushing purple again.

And her expression is one of pain.

Wildcard: got another idea? I'm game.

[irrationally]

Alice sticks around in that world and the city for a while longer, but she's inevitably drawn back to the train. If not just to freshen herself up a little, grab a cup of tea, the usual.

But it's then, as she's passing through the greenhouse carriage, that she notices the figure there. At first she doesn't even recognize who it is thanks to the change in the colour of her skin, but when the figure's eyes open again, Alice notices who it is.

And it immediately makes more sense as to why they'd be here, rather than out there. She remembers even now what she had told Alice about fighting.

".. I assume you didn't have a very fun mission."

[10billionpercent]

Senku was not the best at empathy, but when he caught sight of Merwen, he recalled what he and Soldat discussed prior to the mission.

He was going to give it a try.

The way she was gasping for air made him think that she was disturbed, and he couldn't blame her.

He approached. "Hey." He said softly. "That couldn't have been an easy mission for you."

[blitzcheer]

Tidus comes back to the train almost as quickly as Merwen does, ...and almost for the exact reasons as she. Though Tidus doesn't notice her the first time, rushing through the carriages after washing and heading closer to the front of the train, to see someone.

But he does on the way back, a splotch of colour larger than the flowers and fruits that grow around the car. He slows, surprised, wondering... and though there's that nag at him over her nude state, he pushes it down, concern taking him most of all:

"Hey," he speaks up first, to draw her attention. "Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

wildcard a bit later once Tidus directs him to her

[longforgottenpromise]

He has actually met Merwen, he realises as Tidus told him about her. It was during that strange day when he had been a child, she had fed him. A kind person and he's not so surprised to hear that she found it hard to be around violence.

He's still a bit shaky on his feet but since most people are still on the world the train does not smell too strongly of blood and the aftermath of battle. He looks for her, a small creature on each shoulder, visible to those good of heart.

When he does find her he offers a very nervous smile and a wave.

Wildcard?

[miseris_socios]

A child drags his feet through the Greenhouse after Merwen is done with her trance, bag over his shoulder and face pale with exhaustion. He trips and falls to the ground, rolling over and just staring at the ceiling.

Why? Why this, on top of everything?

wen ning | ota

[deadwenwalking]

locked out.

After wandering around to check on familiar faces (if he knows you, he's probably asked if you're alright at least twice) Wen Ning finally takes a seat on some rubble outside of the city. Apparently all the resentful energy running through his meridians classifies him as a 'demon' in the eyes of the wards here. He won't be able to go in and check on any of the citizens now. But everyone seems to be in well enough form. His fellow treckers had kept the people safe, and that's what they'd come here for, right?

The puppet turns a dagger over slowly in his fingers. It feels odd, as though it's enchanted or ensorcelled in some way. But it doesn't seem like it means to possess him, so that's something. He's not sure if he should have it destroyed or keep it for Wei Wuxian to look at once he's well enough for it.

on the train.

He feels a little bad for not being as worn out as some of the others after all that had gone down, but if he'd worn himself out too quickly he would have been useless when it came to protecting those he cared about. It helps that he has high stamina with the body he has now and he mostly used physical attacks so he didn't drain his own energy reserves. Even if he had, he could still heal better than Wei Wuxian, who no longer has a golden core.

To keep himself useful, he's currently passing out water and snacks to anyone who might look like they need them. Hopefully you like cheese and crackers.

wildcard.

(Anything else!)

Train

[chocobosnap]

Prompto absolutely liked cheese and crackers. He smiled as they were offered.

"Hey, thank you!" He said cheerfully. "It's important to eat after a battle."

locked out

[myblueskies]

Romeo has been helping out around the city but now he is headed outside, having heard about how the wards keep out demons, that probably meant mister Zetta couldn't come in the city. So he should go and find him and check he was alright!

As he exits the city he sees the man he had showed how to use the ICPs. "Mister Wen Ning!" He runs over, having found energy from the sacred stores that only eleven year olds had access to.

"Are you alright?"

locked out.

[fennu]

Jiang Cheng has had little in the way of desire to enter the city; he's too tired to deal with strangers who are in a situation where they're trying to recover and he can feel the ache of his muscles. He's used to fighting, of course he is, but it's been a little time since he's had to fight for so long without Sandu and without pause, especially against monsters that can steal his energy. He hasn't let himself breathe the wrong way for fear that they might steal his Core.

Spotting Wen Ning is easy enough when you know him amongst a crowd of strangers and there's a moment where Jiang Cheng hesitates, not sure what to do with himself - if he should ask or if he should abandon the idea completely. In the end he steps over, arms crossed when he stands, dirty with blood staining him here and there, a few cuts and a Zidian sparking to give away just how much he's been pushing himself.

"..." For a moment all he can do is stare, as if the words have died on his tongue - they have - before he manages something. "You can't go inside?"

Vegeta | OTA

[renegadeprince]

I - Aftermaths
With everything over and that call to announce their departure, it doesn't take Vegeta long to pack up his limited supplies he had brought with him, it all vanishing back into that capsule he had used for storage and it tucked away safely to be reorganized back on the train. He's more interested in checking on those he hadn't really had a chance to see during this all, assuming they also had faced various attacks like the Red Team had. There's also a good chance he's still sporting the signs of having been in that surprise attack, including his armor base torn here and there, but most noticeably is the blood. It's not his blood. More a remnants of up close fighting against those giants the team had to deal with. Either way, he clearly needs to cleaned up once they get back on board.

II - Train, Dining
First thing that's most important once he's back on board is food. Forget getting cleaned up, or relaxing; food was most important considering the amount of energy Vegeta burned through in that last battle, he having long gone through the food supplies he had brought with him to help curb his appetite while they had waited for the train to return. Heading immediately to the kitchen, he'll grab anything available to eat, not caring what it was, just to stop that initial hunger. Really, it's just a snack, even if the amount he grabs would easily be a large meal for most. Just enough to curb that hunger.

After stuffing his mouth he will vanish, get cleaned up, and return at a later point for a full, proper Saiyan-size meal, actually taking time to pick out what he would want to eat and making it look semi like a proper balanced meal. Just about ten times the size of what most would eat. Vegeta will settling into the dining area to make his way through his piles of food, in far less a rush to fill his stomach than when he had first gotten back on board.

III - Train, Cabin
Between that first snack in the kitchen cart, and dining later, Vegeta will slip back to his cabin to get himself cleaned up. Sorry cabinmates, for the most he will just dump his dirty and damaged armor out on his bed, grabbing enough to take into the shower to clean up, before returning to get changed into something more casual.

After his meal, provided he's not dragged off or distracted by anyone else, Vegeta will return to clean up the mess he had left behind before collapsing down onto his bunk. He won't immediately be asleep, but close to it unless interrupted by others looking for him.

IV - Wildcard

Aftermath

[nutkrusher]

Cassie's uniform is in noticeably better shape. Her wounds from the demonic whips have been healed as well, so she's also walking unimpeded. But it's still got some blood on it, particularly around her leg.

"Fun day at the office?"

I.

[subcircuits]

If Vegeta spends any time at all in base camp, chances are good that he's going to cross paths with one Devero. The big man is bustling all over the place as he supervises camp breakdown-- lending a hand here, offering a suggestion there, relieving the burdens of exhausted passengers by shoving their things into the ARMS band he wears on his wrist. He's not trying to get in anybody's business, but when he sees someone with as much blood on him as Vegeta, he is going to stop and at least inquire, "You all right? Need to see a healer?"

Oh, by the way, this big guy? Is wearing a certain prince's future-son's spare armor, and a little electronic device over his left eye.

[yondu]

Train Run

Some people need food still, so before he stops by the train to grab stuff for people and snag his toolbox while he's there. That same one from a couple of weeks ago that just has the basics. He switches out some of the items he'd taken with him in his rucksack and loads it up with fruit and bread and sandwich makings from the stores. Odds and ends to take to some of the people out there.

He's claiming some straight-up sandwich meat for himself, rolling up slices and munching on that as he's going by some people he recognizes.

"Got some water n' juice n' food if you need anythin'," he asks someone as he comes up to them. "Stopped by the train and stocked up. "How are ya gettin' along?"

Working Hard and Hardly Working

Yondu's not one of the ridiculously strong people with powers beyond that of his arrow, so he's mostly been doing 'normal guy' work. Just helping some of the citizens get their stuff put after that bullshit long trek into the caverns. (At least they had enough oil lamps to get them back without too much strain on him). He can do stuff like repair some basic plumbing and change hinges, that kind of thing.

He's just finished in one house and leaving carrying his toolbox when the owner follows him out to the door. She says something with her cutest grin. He throws on his best 'charming pirate' smile and leans against the door moulding as they exchange comments. She even gets bold enough to straighten the collar of the shirt he's wearing under the layers of hoodie and coat.

And then a teenager shows up, happily yelling something to the lady of the house as he runs in. The woman suddenly is bright red and retreats into her home, and Yondu keeps smiling until she's gone. This close. He was this close to being invited back in.

He's not really embarrassed, he's cranky as he retreats to the nearest person who's working on something that he can actually do. "What do ya need?"

[chocobosnap]

Prompto was trying to clear a path through some of this rubble. He was definitely a part of the ordinary guy team, but he's stronger than he looks.

He grinned at him. "Can you help me with that bigger rock there?"

Should he be up on his feet? Probably not, but he was the helpful sort.

[redarrowqueen]

"Need an arm?" Thea stops to offer Yondu a hand. "Insane shooting by the way, my main weapon is bow and arrows too."

train run

[wishalone]

Kyoko didn't know what to think when it was announced they were staying an extra day, but she does know... that she doesn't know what to do.

She doesn't physically look worse for wear, not any more, but she does have a ragged (and almost uncomfortable) look about her. She tenses at first when someone calls out to her, even if the voice is familiar, but then she turns and sees that it's Yondu and that new tension fades again.

"Yeah. I could use something to eat." Is that ever not true?

[thawed_pride]

Vexen couldn't get into the city, but he wasn't particularly inclined to be among the first back to the train, either. He was too physically exhausted to help break camp, so instead Yondu would find him sitting against the city wall, keeping an eye on the comings and goings of those who were still in a state to help...or who might be pushing themselves despite injuries. That, at least, he would be able to help with.

Cassie Lang-OTA

[casslang]

Cassie is making supply runs to help the healers and making sure people eat post mission.'More coffee can be made! Also making soup too!"

Hera | OTA

[averyusefultray]

Aftermath

Striking camp almost feels like a luxury. Mostly because she's used to engagments ending with having to get out in a hurry under orbital bombardment. An actual organized exit is quite novel and Hera could almost be accused of enjoying it.

And it's going pretty smoothly when the schedule suddenly changes.

She's not sure how much they can realistically get done in an extra day, but that Persephone must be planning something that wouldn't be possible in her world. That seems a safe assumption.

Tired as she is (and there's no doubt she's exhausted after running all out the whole time), the work's not done yet. It's one thing to defeat an enemy. The real hard part was rebuilding afterward.

So she's still working, helping wherever she can, trying to shore up the most immediate of the damage. She's seen the aftermath of war. The citizens will have to take the lead on this one, but she's willing hands.

Train

And then there's actually no work to do. And a chair calling her name to a rather definitive form of taking a seat. She's really hoping to not have to stand up again at least for a few minutes.

Aftermath

[myblueskies]

"Are you alright miss? Do you want any food?"

Everyone is exhausted, they've all fought and worked really hard. Romeo wasn't in any fighting but the treck back from the caverns to the city had been long and for a good part of it he had carried one of the younger townspeople on his back.

He has his bento box now and is offering food, today it is frogs that are in the box that he holds out to her.

Entrapta | OTA

[sciencegirl]

Victory! And a shower.

She has the common decency to wait for as many other people to engage in showers before she does. But once they're done, she takes one of her own. Puts on her discordant mix of purple polo shirt and orange hoodie. Heads out of the train with pigtails still wet. Which leaves some unhappy trails of water in the halls all the way out.

She's out on the dirt before a tired realization hits her. "Oh, right."

Then she wrings her pigtails out, one be one, fluffs them up with the puffiness of an angry cat, and shudders the rest of the water onto the ground. "I'm so tired I'm forgetting stuff. Well that's embarrassing."

Catching Up

Entrapta is no good at doing the 'rebuilding' thing, but she's decent at the 'redesigning' thing. She has her journal out, walking around, finding places where structural damage needs to be repaired on their own time. The city truly is a mess, hardly 'Shining' at this point. But still, most people are alive and can go home.

Between those structural scribbles, irrigation recommendations, and a few puzzles to reccomend to the Tower monks just for funsies, she's feeling pretty good. And if she sees someone she knows? They'll find a purple vent goblin of a woman coming towards them with a happy "Hi!" Even the ones she only recognizes after hearing their voices thanks to the SCA.

"I'm glad you're okay! Unless you were murdered, then I'm glad you're okay now!"

catching up

[blitzcheer]

Tidus isn't good at much than collecting the rubble, shifting it to spots where it'll be less in the way, sorted out for what's useful or junk. Repair jobs? What's that, though he tries it in a few places, but others more efficient at the work take over from him before long.

So it's while shifting a load of stone and some chunks of wood beams that Entrapta finds Tidus in her cheery way. A small "Huh?" when she first speaks up, but he shifts his attention better on her, righting the wheelbarrow -- and a memory clicks with him. Something he has to do.

"Uhh- yeah!" --well, right after he fumbles over that weird way of expressing relief. "You went with Orange, right? You do whatever it was in those towers?"

One would assume yes. But that one isn't Tidus, and properly remembers exactly what Orange went in the towers for other than to get caught in traps and something about monks, at this precise second.

closed: Thanatos and Zagreus

[knifewithnoname]

Once the fight was over she had gotten back to camp with everyone else and then slept the moment she could find a space where no one would trip over her or get mad that she was in the way.

Once she woke up it was some hours later and there was talk of staying longer and Persephone regrowing the world. She figured she should try and make herself useful but first she went looking for the two men who had saved her.

This was mostly done by wandering through the camp looking for them and if she gets really stuck asking if anyone has seen them.

She's still filthy from the battle, her hair a wild mess from fighting and an impromptu nap as she seeks them out.

[controlsthedie]

Wherever Zagreus is, there's a sleepy Thanatos nearby. He's not completely lost to the waking world, but his floating bobs up and down like he's at risk of falling asleep. He wants to help out with the recovery. He's in no condition to.

It's a little amusing that when an especially strong urge to pass out again comes, the first thing out of Thanatos's mouth is some version of "Hypnos, stop." Some habits are hard to break.

Reno | OTA

[theturksway]

I. The Moments in Between

Reno had his own agenda for the day, and it didn't involve helping out the locals. His image of being too lazy for chores was on full display today. He figured he'd helped out enough already, it was time to relax not preform more work. Clean-up was for other losers whose job entailed that sort of thing, not ace operatives.

That aside, he spent most of the day hunting down certain people and catching them at times whenever they weren't likely to try to rope him into helping with some random chore. He had a list of people to check up on. Not that he was making it obvious or anything. That wasn't his style. He didn't actually care about anyone here! There was no way he was actually making rounds to check up on people, that was just your imagination hard at work.

So most likely he was caught doing nothing. Wandering around the city, kicking debris out of his way. Lounging on a space of already cleaned up real estate. Snacking on some food brought from the train. And generally just casually watching rather than helping with anything.

II. Wildcard

[[For whatever you may need!]]

Re: Reno | OTA

[unholyandbroken]

"Yell if I need to aim downwind?" calls the brunette happily lighting up. Jessie needed a smoke and had snuck off to do just that.

a-qing | some ota

[spikelet]

a: Aftermath (closed to CR)
The first thing a-Qing does when the gates close and the demons are dead is find a small hill to hide behind. Her breakdown is silent, and lasts only a few minutes. And when she's done retching, she dries her eyes, scrubs her borrowed sword with handfuls of dirt and the cleanest part of her hoodie until there's no more demon viscera on it, and climbs back to her feet.

There are things she needs to do. Items she needs to return, people she needs to confirm made it through safe. Some she greets politely. Is everything well with them, she'll ask, almost vibrating with the tension of keeping herself upright and attentive. Some she waves over. Others she all but crashes into, fingers seeking out wrists or the edges of hoodies as she demands to know if they're okay.

XiXue follows after on soft, dirty paws, tense and watchful.

b: (re-)Building (ota)
The next day, she forces herself up, and sets to helping.

She can't carry much, but she's found a niche in running messages. The cityfolk were split up during the evacuation, some returning faster than others, some staying in the catacombs or going out in search of remains. She darts here and there with requests, small items and lists, scrambling over rubble or through empty, open houses. In the breaks, she ferries packed lunches from the train to those working around the city.

"Hey!" She calls, when she spots someone in a hoodie. Her backpack is crowded with tins, her Vulpix has two bags across its back full of bottled water to keep cool, and they're both heavy. Hoping to lessen their respective burdens, "Have you eaten yet?"

c: Cabin Fever (ota, threadjacking for cuddlepiles etc encouraged)
The first evening and the second, she spends far too long in the shower, and then dresses up in her pyjamas and her stolen adult-sized hoodie. It's all she needs to cover herself enough to go out, and she heads directly to the library.

(She runs back, grabs a blanket, and then heads out again.)

Normally, it would be the cinema, but she's finally learned enough characters to give reading a solid try, and she was halfway through the first book in Ten Thousand Blades before the mission began. Slowly, over the course of the evening, she gets another chapter done - with or without help - before falling fast asleep, curled up on a beanbag.

wildcard
[ d-d-do what you want yeah yeah ]

c

[foxyou]

It's been a long and unrewarding week, and all Jiu wants is to curl up with a book somewhere nice and quiet, all by himself, alone.

He gets as far as picking a random book off the library shelf before realizing there's someone asleep in the room, and pauses, staring for a moment. Should he ignore her? Find somewhere else to read? But that beanbag looks real comfy, and there's another one right next to her...

........................He's just gonna plop himself down (carefully) on that neighboring beanbag and get on with ignoring her. A sleeping A-Qing is a quiet A-Qing, surely this is fine. (If he's fallen asleep reading by the time she wakes up, well, that's a problem for future Jiu.)

Closed to Roland

[theturksway]

Most of Reno's rounds were finished. He had made the effort--while looking like he was making no effort whatsoever throughout the day--to check on a number of people. Besides the dark haired former president, there was only one other person left on the Turk's list. There was a reason that person was last. And an almost equal if directly opposite reason why Roland was second to last.

He hesitated briefly once he finally found Roland but in the end he simply walked straight up to Roland, nodding his head upwards in greeting as soon as he got Roland's attention on him. No point in beating around the bush. Besides, that wouldn't fit his style.

"Hey," he greeted almost cautiously. He cocked his head to one side as he looked over Roland. "How are you, uh, feeling?"

[adregem]

Reno catches Roland with his hair down, literally, staring up at the sliver of sky the ruined scaffolding can afford. There's barely any structure standing where they are, but that's to be expected of a place that's seen so much destruction in a long span of time. Roland musters up the courage to imagine better days for Erda, and the Shining City that is the namesake of hope. What would this place have looked like under the illusion? He never stepped foot inside, felt it too strange to do so, the stirrings of his heart never steering him in the wrong direction before. It must have been beautiful.

The greeting sent his way is not met with whatever typical dry response Reno would have expected of Roland. Instead, he is oddly quiet, watching Reno approach and asking him how he's doing. He takes a minute to look at him, the man who had once threatened to kill him, leave him and his adopted, dead in an alien forest just because Roland didn't take his side. And now, they're here, in the aftermath of a war that almost saw no victory; after Reno does the impossible and stands by Roland's side as he suffers one of the worst waking nightmares of his adult life.

How fast does the world turn, indeed.

Roland keeps eye contact, arms crossed though not as tightly as a typical day would grant him. He nods softly, barely a bob of his chin.

"Hey yourself." He says, steadily. "Better now. Elixirs do wonders."

And god knows how many Roland's had to down in a week, just to survive. Just a man...

Roland pivots smoothly against the heel of his foot, giving him room to face Reno completely. The serious expression he dons betrays none of what he feels, whatever it might be. Nothing will erase the pain of having to deal with the aftermath of that day in Irivar; of his son bleeding at the temple, being forced to fight when he wasn't ready. But he also remembers the kindness of the king he chose to follow in another life - the one who forgave the mousekind who poisoned his father, left him an orphan, then overthrew him for power. The one who forgave him without batting an eyelash.

Roland is still not that man - just a man - but there is no reason he shouldn't try his best to aspire to it. Especially when it's warranted; when it's deserved.

"Thank you. For saving me back there." The corner of his lips crack a small smile, though this too fades fairly fast. It's a meaningful stare he offers Reno, and he doesn't know if he's communicating it enough in his sparse words...but if anything, Roland is nothing if not genuine when he wants to be. "And I'm sorry if I shot friendly fire. I...wasn't myself, it seems."