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

[springforth]

"I guess? I mean, I imagine it was more about survival. As much as anything is about survival with immortal gods."

She imagines he knows how it is, being outrageously old and functionally immortal himself. Persephone rolls her eyes, hot, right.

"I'm not entertaining that comment." She picks up the magazine and waves it, "This--this isn't really for you though. It's just a thing about the Underworld, for Thanatos and Zagreus since explaining the difference is getting more and more difficult."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"I get you there. I don't think I've mentioned this, but the Underworld I know is a completely different place too, so it does get pretty weird."

Her Underworld sounded a lot nicer than Seedle's, though.

[springforth]

"Everyones Underworld is completely different. And the versions of people within them as well."

Persephone hums. Well mostly.

"At least your world doesn't have a whole other me in it. At least, I'm assuming, given you don't seem to have gods on the same level. Though, I guess anything is possible with weird other worlds. Maybe there's a version of you in my world. A backup Zetta."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Some Overlords are also gods. It's not uncommon, really. But you definitely seem to have a different handle on it than what I've seen." Though a slow grin crept across his face. "But in all the cosmos, there's only one badass freaking Overlord Zetta. I know because there's no such thing as a Zetta who'd allow someone else to hold the title!"

[springforth]

"Pft--" She bites back a laugh, eyes sparkling with amusement.

"So special. Dozen versions of me and only one you? I see how it is." Persephone fluffs her hair, "I'll see myself out with all my extra versions."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Wha -- hey! There may be plenty of people named Persephone, but there's only one you! And don't you forget it!" Ever seen a book hop in midair because it was irritated?

[springforth]

Ever seen a goddess snatch a book out of midair. She pulls him to her chest in an embrace and then sets him on her lap.

"Yes yes. I know. Can't a girl tease you?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Not at her own expense!" Zetta attempted to lean into her, as best he could for being a book and all. "Besides, that's the sort of statement that'd make lesser people sad."

[springforth]

Ah. Persephone smiled crookedly, leaning down to kiss his cheek. Book cheek.

"Which is your way of saying it's upsetting. I'm sorry, it was mostly a dig at you, if it helps, assuming no other version of you could exist, all arrogant."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Oh, well, I wouldn't have recognized that. I'm immune to digs. It's a privilege of being me."

Zetta actually believed what he was saying, which might be the scariest part.

[springforth]

"Is that what you think?"

Persephone offers a sandwich this time, nibbling away at hers, "You have no idea how tempting it is to open up that book and wish for another Zetta and watch as you both either descend into flames or get along famously. Or both?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"I'd kick another Zetta's ass! I'm way stronger than some imposter!" Zetta took a huge bite out of the sandwich, as if that would somehow prove what he was saying.

[springforth]

"I mean, it'd be you, not some imposter. Can I even do that? Would he have a body? Because other Zetta is looking better and better."

Persephone grins, popping a grape in her mouth.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Hey! Leave bodies out of this!" Zetta was getting flustered, probably to her immense satisfaction. "I'll kick the ass of any other Zetta! Ass, I tell you!"

[springforth]

"How can I leave bodies out of it if you're the one still bringing up body parts? Seems like you're doing it to yourself. Lemme see, I bet I could make this happen." Persephone reaches out to him, not actually grabbing him, just going through the motions.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"No you can't! The Sacred Tome is my body right now, so I don't have to grant any wishes written in it that I don't want to!" But feel free to grab him, he's all for that!

[springforth]

"What if I wish up another Zetta and you just take over his body. Easy peasy."

Persephone says it like it's that simple. Picking him up is also simple, but she doesn't open him or anything. That feels like a weird violation. And weird in general.

"I didn't realize you would have to approve any wishes. Is that something you actually know or something you're guessing?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Even I couldn't wish for another me. After all, my mana power is the strongest there is, so how could anything make another equal to me?"

[springforth]

"We just drag him in from another timeline, or something? Or are we still insisting that you're utterly unique, one timeline for you?"

Persephone crooks a smile, "Is it all about mana power with this book in the end?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Well, yeah. Mana power is basically a sum of your ability to enforce reality. The book is just really direct about it. Make a change, expend mana power." Which was why his strongest mana power couldn't be duplicated! It wouldn't be the strongest if it could anyway!

[springforth]

"Right, you said something about it being difficult to wish your body back because of that?" Persephone hums, "Weird to be honest, because your body just houses you, not really having power of its own. But alright, my plan seems thoroughly thwarted."

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"Yeah, but the problem is to get everything back to normal, I also need my Netherworld back. That's the complicated part."

Zetta had literally never even thought of doing something like that piecemeal...

[springforth]

But now Persephone is thinking about it. Or at least wondering why he hasn't.

"Can't you do one, then the other? I assume it wouldn't take as much power to just put you back into a body. Then your netherworld when you can?"

[badassfreakingoverlord]

"No, you see, that..." Zetta began confidently and immediately ran out of steam, pausing to blink a couple of times. Then he began again. "I need my netherworld to... That is, if I don't..."

This time the silence lasted several long seconds.

"Huh," he finally said.

[springforth]

Persephone digs in her picnic basket for one of the drinks, opening it and taking a sip. Best give him time to work through the whole thing.

"You're welcome."