The Endless River

[voidtreckermods]

On the morning of day twenty one of the month of Kazoo there is a message on the ICP screens around the train. Their SCA's will light up the colour of the Void and show the following information.

World #398050 is a void nexus known locally as Tshering. As a void nexus this world has strong links with the void and the connection through worlds. World #398050 is home to the Endless River. Legends speak of this river being powerful enough to send thoughts from one heart to another across any distance. All that is needed is for you to know who it is you wish to reach.

On-board

The dressing carriage is open, filled with clothing best suited to a pleasant spring day. Light, airy and in a rainbow of joyful colours and florals. One closet is entirely filled with wide-brimmed hats bedecked with ribbons, feathers and ornaments. A stack of picnic baskets and containers filled with an alarming variety of passenger-suitable foodstuffs and flasked drinks sits in one corner, next to rolls of thick, weatherproof blankets in the four team colours.

The large box marked Do Not Use Yet, filled with small, empty jute bags, is hopefully still sat in the Luggage carriage, ready for passengers to grab handfuls of its contents as directed by the announcement.

Upon landing (after an appropriate countdown), the train remains on the surface, its carriages partially curved to form a gathering site for the day. Welcome to Tshering, the eighth void nexus!



A Day for Picnics

Tshering, system #398050, is a strange place, only habitable by grace of the passengers' SCAs. The sky is shot through with colours, a cascade of sunsets, and through it, the void shimmering through it in seams like a child's painting of the milky way. Still, there's a beauty to the chaotic mash of colours that soaks through its landscape, and in the shelter of the forests of towering funghi that dot its surface, the Void can go unseen by its visitors.

The temperature seems mild, suitable for the provided clothing, and if there are weather patterns around the world they've taken the day off. The funghi are sturdy enough that what air flow there is doesn't disturb their stalks, and carved grooves and holds in some of the larger examples indicate that climbing them to sit atop their glowing crowns is eminently possible, and, in fact, encouraged.

the Endless River

The Endless River is a font of pure chaos, flowing from a multitude of small rivulets across the area to a central reservoir, from which it pours directly upwards, away from Tshering's surface and out of sight, beyond the world's atmosphere.

Anything bagged and placed within the Endless River will also flow upwards and soon be out of sight, passing, presumably, into the Void. Scattered across the surface of Tshering are small, glittering pebbles, as described in the announcement.

The stones are pleasantly cool to the touch, and all passengers need to do is feel. Messages can be in any form that the Voidtreckers wish. Perhaps words, perhaps feelings, perhaps an image from their mind into the stone. Perhaps a mixture. Once they begin their message the stone will glow slightly and continue to glow as they secure it in the bag and cast it into the river. They will feel, almost instinctively, that they need to focus as they do so, thinking of the person they wish to reach all the while.

There are plenty of bags and many more stones; passengers will not be limited in their sendings.

Comments

Thief King Bakura (au) | Yu-Gi-Oh! | will reference recent violence only if prompted

[shegypt]

[ the thief king's new clothes ]

Hehehehheh. HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[ Thief King Bakura busts out of the dressing room in an incredibly good mood. She's swapped her pants for a khaki-green skirt with cargo pockets, and her all-terrain boots for lighter-soled shoes, the better for sneaking. She has even discarded the ripped-up polo shirt she's had draped over herself since she got here in favor of a pure white cotton button-down!

.....Of which she has only buttoned the bottom two buttons before tucking it into the skirt. Abs. They must be Free.

The red hoodie, which has not only been split in two by a mighty TEAR but also slightly singed (perhaps she was a victim of the cooking fire?), remains. She likes it. It makes her laugh. ​]

What a thoughtful prison! I thought I'd have to accommodate myself.....

[ Behind her floats Lele, Eva's Porygon2. It is very lucky that it does not emote, because Bakura hadn't cared it was watching while she changed. She may have given it a show, in fact.

It's the little things in life. ]

[ fiends in high places ]

[ The picnic part, Bakura doesn't care about. Eating inside or eating outside - it's still eating, isn't it? So, freed of her guard after pointing out there is literally nothing she can steal on an uninhabited world, she's climbing the fungal forest as high as she can go, crouching, staring at the train, and Thinking.

Is everybody off? Is now the moment?

.....No. She needs to bide her time. So for now, she is merely a totally ripped woman crouching on a giant mushroom, thinking broody thoughts with smaller fungi noticeably sticking out of her pockets.

What, like she wasn't going to steal something after all. ]

[ life's not fair, oh ]

Huhuhuhuhuhu....

[ There is a rather ominous atmosphere clouding the normally psychedelic environs, on this distant stretch of river. Bakura had figured she didn't have anyone to send rocks to, but if it works.....

Pebble by pebble, she picks up stones and grins, focuses, lets all the hate and the resentment, fifteen years of nihilism flavored by unfiltered ambition, imbue itself into the rocks. Adds a slice of disillusionment - are you sure you're right? do you listen to what whispers in that gold you hold? Then, placing her little hatred-and-paranoia-bombs in the appropriate bags, she picks them up and starts playing skipping stones with them. (She's really good at skipping stones.) ]

....Three to go.

[ And she's saving the best - a rather golden-colored pebble - for last. ]

N...new cl...oth...

[shadowslipping]

[Oh- Lele! Yuume almost goes to greet Eva, but...Eva's not around? Hmm.

Someone else is- actually, someone who looks quite a lot like an officer she works with is there, which is quite the sight indeed. Perhaps they're related, she wonders, preparing to ask.

And then abruptly the question is cast from mind.] Ah...

...Prison..?

[................

hey this lady looks kinda like-]

[shegypt]

'Gracious benefactor' is the common understanding.

[ Bakura smirks. ] If you fall into line.

[shadowslipping]

[Oiii oiii...]

Frankly, with the state of actual prisons, I'm far from inclined to call it anything like that. We were taken against our will yes, but this is more a matter of 'the drowning man's dilemma' than anything else. It's rather clearly doing what it can to make up for it, and frankly, I'd like to prevent a threat to the planet I live on from becoming a stronger one while I have that option.

[She pauses in her mild- and quite- rant however, looking the woman over.] ...That aside...I can tell you haven't been on the train before, but I have to ask, are you familiar with a Bakura Keiji at all..? You look quite a lot like him...

[shegypt]

I get that a lot. [ By which she means "twice now." ]

The similarity thing, that is. But the rest are all posers.

[ She jerks a thumb at herself. ] I'm the completely-genuine, absolutely-unstoppable Thief King Bakura, in the flesh!!!

[ You may find her terrifying, or hot, or terrifyingly hot now. She is cool with any of those options. ]

[shadowslipping]

...Eh?

[.....................................She has no idea who the 'thief king bakura' is. Mostly because that title and name went down entirely differently by the time anything like that hit her textbooks to get published. That's what happens when the name 'Bakura' is...well. Brought to Japanese over from Arabic, after first coming out from whatever ancient language it had involved.

The fact that there's a name at all is frankly impressive though, but then again, for such a short reign of terror, a lot of people really really didn't enjoy the 'king of thieves'.

....Anyway. No comment on the hottness.] ...I'm not sure he'd be trying to do anything like you are, no offense...when we work together, it's typically to catch thieves I'm afraid.

You'll either be pleased, or irritated to hear that my involvement is strictly advisory in those scenarios- I'm not interested in chasing after you if you aim to keep the title up here, [she notes a bit dryly.]

[shegypt]

[ For some reason, Bakura finds this response humorous as hell! She chuckles, making a Royal flourish with her hand. ]

Thank you kindly~

[shadowslipping]

Hahahah..!

...I do apologize though...I have a feeling I've probably studied your exploits, but history tends to make it difficult to put a face and name to those things.

...At the very least, you don't have the look of someone who pulled that name from nowhere, [she huffs, smiling. It's not meant to be a flirt, but it's certainly a compliment- she is not blind to the fact that Bakura looks like she could throw her a mile, not at all.

Okay it's Kinda hot.] Might I ask what regions you typically pilfered from, for the sake of historic accuracy?

[Alright now she's just being a nerd.]

[shegypt]

Kemet.

[ Said with a certain luxurious pleasure at the idea of pilfering it.

And also at being eyed like that. Bakura shifts closer, testing her luck. Her lifestyle does not lend itself to forming deep, long-lasting relationships....but what is a thief if not the ultimate connoisseur of self-indulgence? ]

Of course, I have plans to expand.

new clothes. because Peter's life isn't awkward enough.

[hashtagparkerluck]

[ Peter's still going through the clothes trying to find something that feels more like him. So far he's only found button up floral shirts which is honestly better than a polo. His senses kick in and then he turns to face the laughter. ]

[ He might have asked her what's so funny but instead his face goes bright, tomato red and he quickly turns away, holding his hands up to block the view. ]

U-Um-ma'am I think you missed some buttons. [ He squeaks. ]

[shegypt]

.....Huh?

[ Oh hey it's bug boy. Looking all not smushed and stuff. Bakura laughs and steps closer. He's small fry, so she's not worried about running into him again. He can't beat her and they both know it (or at least, so she believes).

On the one hand, this makes him unworthy of her attention.

On the other hand, this makes him a riot. ]

I'm from someplace hotter! I like a breeze. What about you?

[ She bends over, supposedly to talk to him, but...yeah. ] Is this what fells the mighty hero?

[hashtagparkerluck]

[ She got lucky due to his lack of webbing. Next time she won't be so lucky. Probably. But he's not here to trash talk. ]

[ if possible, his face gets a little redder. Look, he's all for letting people dress how they want but this is making him extremely uncomfortable and he's looking... anywhere but at her. ]

I wouldn't say that-I just uh... you um-You're-I'm-uh... [ One of these days he'll come up with something coherent. ] C-can we just keep it rated PG? Please?

[shegypt]

[ Rated...what? But the entire rest of him fills in for her lack of cinematic trivia knowledge. ]

Well, since you asked nicely......

[ Standing back up, then; a King is benevolent when it suits their fancy (and no other times). Shifting her hoodie so that not too much shows.

The abs, however, are non-negotiable. ]

[hashtagparkerluck]

that's-thank you.

[ He'll take it. He lets out a breath he hadn't realised he was holding and lets his his heart rate return to normal. ]

S-sorry, I just-there's kids on board and... stuff.

[shegypt]

You're always a busybody, huh?

[ And about weird stuff, but whatever. Where she's from, the kids go around wearing NOTHING AT ALL! ]

Keeping the train safe.

[ .....is it her imagination or is lele floating closer now

stupid bird ]

[hashtagparkerluck]

Yeah, always.

[ Peter states matter-of-factly. ]

It's kinda in the main part of the superhero gig.

[shegypt]

[ Bakura chuckles derisively. ] Thanks for your concern.

[ Now, let's see. What else in here might be of use.....?

She squats to root around in the accessories provided, looking for any large bags. Not that she expects she's going to be stealing anything! BUT SHE MIGHT.

She's also completely showing her back to Peter, which shows just how impressed with his superheroics she is. ]

High Places

[miseris_socios]

[Sometimes being short is helpful. Not right now, because Ken climbs onto a mushroom that's already occupied.]

[He huffs in annoyance. He came all the way up her, he's not going to let some weirdo ruin it.]

I don't tihnk these things are very edible, so you probably shouldn't try take them back.

[shegypt]

I grabbed them on principle.

[ Though he has a point. Poison isn't her style, so they're of limited utility.

.....That's it. When she's done being moody up here, she's totally going to go take as many of those little thought-pebbles from the riverbank as she can. They can resist void travel, can't they? Now THERE's a valuable ore! ]

[miseris_socios]

Which principle? The principle of stupid nonsense?

[shegypt]

[ Bakura smirks, then slowly curls her lips to show a hint of teeth. ]

Of being a thief.

[miseris_socios]

[He's seen worse - he's fought plenty of Shadows.]

You can only store and carry so much on you, duh. You have to be selective in what you grab.

[He just folds his arms over his chest, looking incredibly unimpressed.]

[shegypt]

I'll swap when something better comes along. [ A shrug. ]

Or are you trying to tell me you want these....?

[miseris_socios]

No. Just wondering why. They're probably not something you should eat anyway... and it's not like we can sell things for money so there's no point in taking that kind of stuff unless it's interesting.

[shegypt]

Oh.....

[ She's very interested, kid. Very interested in being as defiant as possible.

Bakura takes out a mushroom, turns it over in her hands. ]

This train's fulla people who want to know why.

[ "why did you stuff your pockets full of useless fungi, thief king bakura?" "why did you remove that irritating stifling feeling from your clothing?" "why did you burgle, kidnap, and murder the body-doubles of the people who inherited a legacy of mass slaughter disguised as justice, then buried in the shadows?"

She crushes the mushroom. ] Busybodies.