middleofsomewhere | The Will to Fight: Conclusion

The Will to Fight: Conclusion

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!)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Raven moved over to the trunk, taking a look inside. "It's here, along with your lantern." Thought Thanatos had that; maybe it vanished. Turning, she keeps her gaze averted, but is clearly talking to him too. "What can I grab for you to help?"

They take another couple breaths, then peel carefully away from the wall to creep over and peek inside. Then it's grabbing the two items swift as a flash, and hugging both awkwardly to their chest. The charms on the lantern don't seem damaged-- or else the train fixed those, too. They inspect the lantern thoroughly for a beat, looking for any new wear-and-tear, but it looks about the same, too.

Finally turning their attention on Raven, looking a little calmer, they ask in a small voice, "Is there a blanket or something in here? Just to. Get me to my cabin. Without, you know. Flashing anybody else out in the corridors." It's not too far to the sleepers, but still far enough.

"If you don't mind waiting, I'll grab you one and be right back." She didn't know if there was a spare blanket or not, unfortunately.

They're looking around, but they're still kind of in panic mode. Nothing looks useful. Everything looks overwhelming. "Yeah, that's. Okay." Raven can be quick. Raven can teleport. It'll be fine. (I haven't been barefoot in. In. Since your last shower, dumbass. That's not the same!)

Raven blinked, and would blame her tired state. Especially since she reached up and lightly smacked her forehead. "Soldat, are you sick of me teleporting you yet? because I could just teleport us to outside your cabin."

They look a little startled by the idea, themselves. Blame their own panic. "I. Yes. That's. A really good idea, actually. Let's do that." Then they're only likely to maybe bother Thanatos or Guri or something inside, and knowing them, they might not even be in there.

Raven moved closer at a quick step, already summoning her astral form. Murmuring her mantra softly and great dark-energy wings were engulfing them both, vanishing in a swirling portal of dark-energy. Reappearing a moment later from that same kind of portal in front of Soldat's cabin door.

"That is such a weird way to travel," Soldat comments, feeling still a little off-balance by... everything. But the panic is receding, finally, half from being out of the luggage car and half from the novelty of the teleportation. "Thank you. I. If you want to wait, I won't be long."

Their ticket is tucked into the tablet, which makes life easier for getting in, at least. They fish it out from between the device and the casing.

"I'll wait." Raven confirmed, before moving to lean against the opposite wall. He seemed a little off-balance still, and maybe having a sort of friendly and familiar presence would help.

They're quick. They slip inside, relieved to find it empty, and set about getting clothes on. Starting with some goddamn socks. They hate being barefoot, almost more than being naked in the more traditional ways. They leave the door open, as much for expediency as because it seems rude to just leave her outside.

They also have to deal with a little floating, plastic ghost zooming across their bed to rattle its chains in distress at them. They pause in their hasty process of tugging on clothing to pet its round little head. "Hey, hey... I'm sorry, little guy. Shit, I shoulda had somebody come in and look after you, huh."

Raven had kept her back turned, to give him privacy. But she turns her head slightly when she hears him talking to a...a pet? "You have a pet?"

"I don't know that I'd call them that exactly. They're like. A little animated kid's toy, maybe. Don't eat, don't know if they sleep, just need a little petting now and then." Soldat shifts the little ghost figurine further to one side on the lower bunk so Raven can see it, then returns to tugging on clothes. Just two layers, this time. They're in a hurry.

As long as he's covered when Raven pokes her head in more fully. She's been doing her best to ignore his nude state, and she'd like to keep it that way. Blinking a little at the ghost, she makes a soft snort sound.

"Hi, uh...little guy. Do you have a name?"

"No," Soldat says, sounding vaguely embarrassed. They've at least got pants on (and socks, of course). "I'm bad with names. If you couldn't tell from just going by 'Soldat'. Never could come up with one, and they don't seem to... care, so." They escape the admission by pulling a shirt on.

The ghost rattles little plastic chains at her. "That's them asking to be petted," Soldat explains.

"I'm bad with names too, or I'd offer to try and think of one for you." Raven said, with a hint of apology in her calm voice. But she did reach out and pet the little ghost. It wasn't any more awkward than with Silky, right?

The ghost certainly doesn't seem to mind. The chain-rattling subsides, and it bobbles from side to side gently, as if on springs inside its little plastic base. "Don't worry about it. If they wanted one, they probably would've bothered me more about it whenever I brought it up. They're just my little ghost friend, now."

A second shirt joins the first, and they scoop the ghost up entirely while they step into their boots. Laces can wait. "All right. I. Think I ought to eat. Or I'm going to regret it before too long."

"Do you want company?" It was probably a stupid question. She'd rested some, but some food would probably be good for her too.

"It's a rare day when I don't want company." They look a lot calmer, now, with clothes and shoes and the ghost hovering over their palm close to their chest. They give her a wan little smile. "So. Yeah."

"I should probably get food before I pass out again for more rest." Raven murmured. "And I definitely prefer your cooking to mine." Considering she didn't really cook...

"All right, company it is." They slip back out of the cabin and let the door slide shut behind them, lantern slung over their shoulder properly and tablet tucked into their hoodie pocket. "Don't think I've got the patience for putting together waffles this morning, though."

"I won't expect them every time." Raven said, managing to put some amusement in her voice. "As long as you don't want my cooking."

"Nah. I'll make something quick and easy," Soldat promises, starting down the car's isle in the direction of the kitchen car. "For both of us. Cooking is. It's not just a means to an end, you know? It's comfort. Relaxing. Defined steps leading to a predictable end, and then you get to eat it, too."

"See, I can do that with spells and potions and other magical stuff. When it comes to cooking, it just does not work for me though." Raven followed behind, also kind of glad for the company too. She'd only actually slept on the mission because of Soldat, afterall.

"Well, it's not for everyone," Soldat allows with half a smile. "Only a handful of us back in Beacon actually liked to cook. And Misty got the same relaxation out of gardening. I will never understand that." Gardening is not Soldat's hobby of choice, not by a long shot. Dirty in the plates is awful.

"I'm not much of a gardener myself. I'm used to working with dried herbs mostly." Raven confided. "Some of the spells I've seen call for fresh, but they're not usually ones I needed."

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