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

Xie Lian | Heaven Official's Blessing

[lucklessgege]

Dressing Car
Xie Lian is very excited about the hats. It has been a long time since he has gotten to wear one. And although these aren't nearly like what he used to have with him, they will do well to block the sun and for that he is excited. It is always fun to get off the train, but these little middle missions are very relaxing.

He selects a particularly wide brimmed hat that has adorable little flowers tucked into a white ribbon. He places it on his head and turns to smile at anyone who might happen to be in the room with him.

"Does this one look good?"

Picnic
Xie Lian has the blanket already spread out and the basket set down on top of it. But he got distracted by the large plants that he chose to sit under. They are fascinating and he is impressed that the have grown to be so large that they are basically trees. They definitely aren't like any trees he is used to seeing.

He places his hand against the stalk and looks up at the wide canopy that it has above him.

"It's so beautiful."

Always so impressed by the things on these worlds and how different they all are. he has learned about so many things since being on the train.

River
He sits beside the river and holds the little stone in his hand. The one person he would send his thoughts to was already on the train. But he does wonder if his friends back home are wondering where he has gone off to. It would be good to let them know that he is okay and not to worry.

"I wonder if I send this, if it will only cause them to worry more..."

Because if they hadn't noticed he was missing then they would start to worry. Or if they had been searching, realizing that he was in a place they couldn't get to might be frustrating for them.

He sits and ponders this for a moment as he lets himself get drawn into looking at the shiny stone.

Dressing Car

[azrthmtrnznthos]

Raven is taking her time as she looks through all the...bright colors. Or Pastels. It's all quite a bit too cheery for her taste, honestly. She turns with the question, and hmms for a moment. Studying him in the hat, and taking her time to choose her words.

"It's not my taste, but it suits you."

[lucklessgege]

"Ah thank you!" He will take it as the hat looks good and he will keep it for the journey.

"Have you found anything you like yet?" Not that liking it necessarily has to come into play. It will be more for protection then for decoration.

[azrthmtrnznthos]

"I'm starting to think I won't. It's too...." Bright? "Colorful" For her tastes.

[lucklessgege]

"They are very strange clothes. But it makes me think that this world is going to be quite warm. I'm used to walking through desserts and things of that nature so I am also going to stick with the clothing I have."

Except for the hat. He is definitely adding the hat. He agrees that the rest of the outfits are too loud.

[azrthmtrnznthos]

"It looks to me like a store that's getting ready for spring and summer. Which means you're probably right in a way. It'll be sunny likely, and reasonably warm."

[lucklessgege]

"Ah how nice! I remember the last relaxing world was covered in snow. It's hard to believe we can go between such extremes so quickly." It's only been a couple months since that snowy wonderland. It's hard to believe that it was his introduction to these worlds. Now he has experienced several of them.

[azrthmtrnznthos]

"You get used to it. Mostly." Raven said, with a hint of smile and some amusement.

[lucklessgege]

He laughs, "Ah I imagine in time I will. I wonder how many worlds I will get to see." He knows that there is not set amount of worlds that people get to experience before the train seems to send them away. No one seems to know exactly what changes to make people leave.

"Do you have a favorite one you've been to?"

[azrthmtrnznthos]

"...Not while we've been on the train." Raven said, then shook her head. "Or let me rephrase that. My favorite is still my Earth." It's where she first found friends, had a family of sorts.

[crimson_rain]

For Hua Cheng, he's dressed casually. He doesn't mind wearing a hat with the ornaments and flowers and ribbons, so he wears them too. It wasn't so bad to dressed casually for the picnic and carrying the picnic baskets.

"Gege looks his best for today." He replied cheerfully. Afterward, it's a matter of trekking out to the forest, and set up their place for a picnic and enjoy a day and the scenery of this planet.

By the Endless River, there really isn't anyone he wants to send his stones. But out of amusement, he did. He sends stones to his dead family even if it's centuries he has long forgiven them, to some of his friends and citizens in Ghost City, to let them know everything is all right. He doesn't need to tell Xie Lian anything, because he already made it know. He contemplates on his stones and puts his stones in the bag to secure it, but he will wait for Xie Lian to form his wishes and messages before casting it to the river.

While he's contemplating and meditating on the stones, "Gege? I don't see why not. You can send to anyone. It's said your thoughts and feelings will go to anyone across time and space. So...I tried and decide to send to my people in Ghost City."

[lucklessgege]

"But if it just makes Mu Qing and Feng Xin worry more? If they know we are in a place that they can't get to, then it might make them upset. I want them to know I am okay but I do not want to worry them."

He's torn about what he should do. There was so much work that still had to be done to finish the city. And those two were working so hard with everything. he doesn't want them to think he abandoned the work but he also doesn't want to make things worse by telling them what happened.

He sighs, still unsure what to do but thinking that telling them is better then not knowing.

[crimson_rain]

He looks at him thoughtfully, thinking about it, sensing his worries.

"I heard time still flows in homeworlds even after we left, so they probably do notice us missing and they can't get to us. I think it's better if you let them know you're okay...and that you will return to them soon." He advised.

"You're not the only one with this dilemma. A lot of people were plucked from their homeworlds and everyone's situations are complex and complicated. You never know when you will get another chance to send anyone a message."

[lucklessgege]

He nods and he puts his feelings into the rock. He knows that they would be happier knowing that he is safe. And if he explains that he is with Hua Cheng they would be happier knowing that he isn't alone and probably even more happy to not have to think about the fact that he is with the Ghost King. They prefer not to know those details.

And he will make sure to send them each a stone so that they don't get jealous over one another. He wants to put so much into these little rocks but he probably should keep it simple...but in a way he does miss them and he figures that is probably going to come through as well.

"I hope they are doing okay..."

[crimson_rain]

"I think they'll be fine." He said with confidence. He looks at the river and then back at gege. His bag of stones in hand, tied up and secure.

"Are you ready to cast your stones into the river?"

[lucklessgege]

He nods and finishes closing up the bag. He walks over to the water and stares down at the stream. He hopes that this really does reach them. He would send other stones but for now it would be enough. He doesn't want to overwhelm everyone back home.

"I'm ready, San Lang." He looks up at him, "Did you have a lot to add to your stones?"

[crimson_rain]

"Gege take care to don't get too close to the river." He follows after him to the shore of the river but taking care not to get too close as the train warns it could mean a death.

"I'm ready. My bag is all tied up." He said, and he's ready to send it over to cast his bag of stones into the river.

[lucklessgege]

He nods and lowers the bag into the water, stepping back and standing up straight again once it is done. He watches as the little bag starts to float down the river. He brings his hands together and sends a little prayer after it that it has a safe journey towards its destination.

It is nice that this world has this chance to give people. He finds himself grateful to it.

[crimson_rain]

In comparison, Hua Cheng ties up his bag nice and tight to secure it and then he carelessly throws the bag into the river like it's a football to see how far he could throw it. The bag landed into the river with a hard splash to his amusement.

With a shrug, he sends a prayer too, blessing both of the bags with his luck for safe delivery of the message as the bags make it's passage down the river until both disappear into the void and eventually the multiverse.

Seeing it's done, "Does gege want to take a look around this world and take pictures? I have a camera."

picnic

[foxyou]

What's this? A man distracted by the beauty of the great outdoors? And here is Jiu, four-footed and peckish from running wild around the forest.

Surely no one will notice if a very tiny foxlet pokes his head in the basket, right? Just gotta be reeeaaal quiet. Yes.

[lucklessgege]

Xie Lian senses a little something getting close to his food and turns slightly, not wanting to frighten the thing away. He smiles, knowing that the food inside the basket is at least edible. He didn't make it and so everything in there is safe for the little fox.

Softly, "Don't take too much. You'll get a stomach ache."

[foxyou]

The fox freezes when it's caught, ears tilting slightly back in...possibly wariness, maybe something else. Either way, having been given the go ahead, it hesitates only a moment before throwing aside any pretense of stealth and shoving its head in the basket with an annoyed huff and reemerging with a sandwich in its mouth.

This sandwich! Is fox property now!! It's gonna move a few feet away before settling down to eat, for proper social distancing.

[lucklessgege]

He smiles as he settles down on the blanket and opens the basket to pull out his own meal. "I'm not sure who made them but they certainly look good." Not that Xie Lian is particularly hungry but since he now has a companion for his picnic he might as well enjoy it.

He doesn't know if this is a fox of this world or one of the passengers but he is happy to share either way.

[foxyou]

The fox - which is definitely not a person and therefore does not need to have shame - eats its sandwich with relish, happy to offer the vague companionship of its distant presence in exchange. It even sneaks back again once the sandwich is gone, peeking into the basket with a little less caution than before, and coming back up with a tasty chicken leg. Can foxes eat barbecue? This one can, surely.

[lucklessgege]

He is happy to share as much of the picnic as the fox could possible want. Xie Lian doesn't eat much and he is just content to have companionship while he eats. Plus the creature seems to be enjoying the food which means it isn't going to go to waste.

"At least we have a nice day so that we can enjoy eating outside." Much better then eating inside on the train every day.