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

Yondu | GotG (CW: Sad Prompt warning if people aren't in the mood)

[yondu]

Picnic

He couldn't really wear anything here and feel quite right. None of it suits. The hats are practically funny just in concept. Yondu had poked and prodded through what's available until he finds some sort of basic canvasy cream-colored suit with pinkish button-up shirt. He has a basket that had enough meat in it to suit him for a meal.

Like a wallflower he picks a place away from everyone and just plops cross-legged onto his blanket, not even fully unpacking the picnic basket to grab things out of it to eat and drink.

This world makes him homesick. As much as a man who never had a real home can be homesick. It's a strange world that he looks like he shouldn't be stepping on. He fights off any thoughts of it looking like the world a Celestial will make (which at least he's fighting off some thoughts) and just missing world-hopping on his own.

He'll be off to himself for a while.

the Endless River

Yondu stands at the edge of the river, holding his stone and frowning hard at it. Everyone else has someone to send a thought to. But Yondu's pretty damn sure no one wants to think of him.

He can't think of a single damn person to send a thought to.

Like many people, he has the thought of sending a thought to a past self or something. But all he can consider is a good hearty 'Fuck You'. No good thoughts relating to himself in the past. No desire to remind anyone that he even existed because they made it real damn clear they didn't want to remember him.

Finally, he looks to a person near to him. "D'you want this thing?" He offers them the bag.

Endless River

[agoodsoul]

At first he wasn't going to do it, send a message with one of the stones. It doesn't seem real still, even though he's standing in the middle of it all. Yet maybe it's all true and if he owes anyone anything it's his mom. So he holds a stone in his palm, fingers curled around it as he thinks of her.

"I'm okay." He can't elaborate, it wouldn't make sense anyway, but maybe just hearing he's okay, however that translates to her would be enough. Just don't worry, he's fine. There's a lot of people around the river so it's not a surprise there's someone close by, but at first Dennis doesn't realize they're speaking to him.

"Hm?" He looks over, eyes widening a little, still not used to non humans yet. Some what hesitantly he'll nod, taking the offered bag.

"You ain't gonna send nothing?"

Yay!

[yondu]

"Didn't have nobody left. No enemies I cared to think about even." No friends that still gave a damn. His boy has one good thought about him and he doesn't wanna mess that up. What's he gonna do? Send a message to the raccoon he knew for a few hours?

Hey, Rat. Hope the Twig is fine. Bye.

"I been to worlds this perty before..." He just idly says. "Couple of 'em were actually good places. ...Alright, well, honestly this one prolly ain't great. We take off our SCAs we'd probably die."

Nice optimism, Yondu.

"Nice an' quiet, though." That's better.

Hooray!

[agoodsoul]

Optimism is for well adjusted people. No worries, Yondu.

There's something about what the blue man says that hits him pretty hard. Dennis looks back at the river, watching the water as Yondu keeps talking. In a way he could relate. Sure he had his mom, but... otherwise who else would truly miss him back home? If he never showed up back there everyone would just be validated in what they'd thought of him. It doesn't feel right saying anything at first, he doesn't know this guy and clearly they had a lot of emotional baggage concerning the issue. Who was he to try and speak on that?

Not yet at least.

"S'quiet, yeah." He agrees with a nod before glancing back at Yondu, curious.

"You been to a lotta worlds like this cause of the train?"

[yondu]

"Nah, I was a Ravager before I came here. Had my own ship, goin' from planet to planet. Doin' work for hire stuff. Transport. Bounties. That kinda thing."

Robberies and raids but he's got the good sense not to say that outright.

"Train only let me off once so far an' that was a demon-filled cesspit. They said it was a success."

ENDLESS.... u-u endless sads...

[seacub]

He can see the stone Yondu is holding from where he's staring at the river himself- but he doesn't have any bags with him right now. It's by choice, of course. After all-

... "Mnh? ...Oh. ...No, that's okay," he says with a somewhat weak smile. "I don't..."

...Ahhh, he can't keep dodging this. "...I don't have anyone anymore."

[yondu]

Ah.

He remembers Emporio mentioning that, and he kicks himself a little. Kid doesn't need reminders anymore than he does. Poor kid. He definitely should have someone to send a thought to.

"Pretty shit, huh?" Yondu says, staring out at the gorgeous river. It's like torture.

"I knew a planet who was this perty. He was somethin' called a Celestial. He was an asshole.... But I seen a few other places that were a li'l' like this that weren't so bad."

But then?

"You been on the train a good long time. How about if you lost some train folk you send 'em a message. Y'know, one of those what got off on a platform."

[seacub]

A grimacing smile, but he leaves it at that.

"Celestial..." Haha. "...That sounds like...someone trying to be a 'god'," he observes, perhaps with a stronger wince. It's what he was dealing with after all.

Hmm. "...I could try that I guess... ...I mean... ...I don't think he'd be from the world I really came from, since he died there, but the train said that time passes wherever we came from..." He swallows. "...Maybe he got to avoid it, then. He was here for a few weeks so..."

Donatello Versus wasn't exactly a nice person, but it's at least someone who he got to talk to, and know. And...

"...I guess...technically that means other people could be alive there too but..." But he can't. He can't do that.

Especially when the chances are that he'd just make things confusing for another version of himself.

[yondu]

"That's exactly what he was... had the powers to back it up, but you ain't wrong." Yondu pulls a toothpick out of his basket to gnaw on.

"You know, you don't gotta say somethin' real particular. You could just put a thought in their head."

He deserves the chance to at least try. This is a good kid that actually takes his time out to help people. Someone's gotta be glad to have a good thought from him.

"Why don't you try it an' make it short. Just... somethin' small, that they won't question all that much."

picnic PSHAW I CAN BRAVE THE SADNESS

[happyends]

Surprise, Yondu. You're never fully alone.

Partially since there's just so many people from the train being unloaded onto this world, but also since Madoka apparently seems to have some sort of internal radar for the people she cares about - what other explanation could there be for the fact that the girl somehow seems to find him despite his attempt at being a wallflower?

She's looking pinker than ever in the clothes the train let them pick, and she's cheerfully swinging her basket as she runs over towards his blanket.

"Mister Yondu, mister Yondu! Do you want to eat together?"

Yondu's just here to kill the vibe, that's what he do.

[yondu]

He glances up from eating, and it's really lucky Madoka knows Kyoko because he's sitting there just straight up taking bites out of a full salami. The joys of being acquainted with a being with a mostly carnivorous diet who is also a space pirate.

He scoots out of the way for her.

"Yeah, sure. I ain't the best company right now, but have ya a sit down."

His blanket is haphazardly arranged, all bunched in corners. But there's still plent of space.

[happyends]

Madoka does sit down - in fact, she even bothers to smooth out the blanket a little before sitting and putting her own basket next to her. There's still a bit of a smile on her face, though it seems to shrink a little at his words.

There's obviously something that stands out about them, after all. Something that - indeed - stands out more to her than his eating habits. Madoka has seen some stuff in that department by now..

"Not the best company?" It's the 'right now' that sticks out to her, because she'd figure that it'd just be him trying to act all rough and tough otherwise. But it sounds a little different now. "Is something going on..?"

[yondu]

He feels a little bad that she shrank like that, and he schools himself into looking less like an ass.

"Reminded of home in a bunch of good an' bad way. Somewhere's between homesick an' all mad." He doesn't lie to her about. No need to. No need to pretend that little soft spot isn't in there.

Then frowns at that river in the distance.

"No one I wanna send a message to back home. I figure we need a break, just..." He waves his ridiculous salami around. "It ain't doin' as much for me."

Re: Yondu | The Endless River

[halfnewb]

Sam blinks and glances over, tilting his head. He looks at the bag, and then snorts. "Yeaaahhh, sure, I've got a lot of insane bandits and corporate assassins to send love letters to. Honestly the list is infinite. Ooh, and there's all those skags that tried to chew my face off...damn. I'll tell you, Blue Sky, it's difficult being so damn popular and beloved..." A dramatic sigh, coupled with the back of his hand pressing against his forehead. "Such is my curse..."

[yondu]

He looks at Sam with an expression so deadpan there's practically ringing force behind it.

"Then send some hate mail or somethin'. Anyone worth sendin' spite back in my world is dead." Or he just flat out doesn't recall their names. He doesn't really sound like that's a tragedy. He's just not bitter enough to carry grudges that mean nothing in the end.

He just made the mistake of hiring people who did.

[halfnewb]

"...uh, then just send it to them anyway? Does it matter if they're dead? This thing obviously gives as many shits about time as I do about life." He scoffs and plops down on his butt next to the water, skipping a rock across the river.

picnic

[sos_pilot]

As usual, Della can't help but stick her beak into other people's business.

"Hey, Yondu!" She chirps cheerfully as she walks over to him. "What are you doing all by yourself?"

[yondu]

And he's just sitting there, taking a bite out of a salami like it's an apple, and he looks up when Della says something.

"Wasn't much in the mood to socialize." He says honestly. "Happens from time to time." Especially when a place makes him homesick. Or worse, reminds him of all kindsa folks that make his head bad.

"Better about it than I used to be."

[sos_pilot]

At least she can listen... from time to time. "Oh." She frowns, feeling awkward. "You, uh, want me to buzz off?"

River, this is really sad I'm sorry

[bodyoftheseus]

V hadn't even bothered with the rocks or the satchets. By now he was pretty certain he was cursed and he was nothing but a plague on everyone around him. There is one person he could send one to, but he isn't so certain he wanted to waste a pebble simply to call someone a fucking douche.

There was nothing to say to the him of the past, nothing to say to some him of the future. He would send a message to Judy, but she was honestly better off without him. She had left and was living her best life without him already, for him to fade into the background so she didn't ever feel like she needed to go back to Night City was for the better.

"Hm?" V glanced to Yondu. "I... No, don't think so. Got nothin' to say to anyone." It's clear from the way he was resigned that he probably had things to say, but nothing he felt was worth going out of his way to send.

[yondu]

Yondu just wads up the bag and sticks it in his pocket for now, frowning out at the river. Then down it, at all the people crying, smiling fondly, sending their thoughts out. He shoulda just stayed on the damn blanket, eating from his basket.

"I got things to say," he admits. "But before I left... the people I had it to say too made it real clear they didn't wanna hear it. But I reckon I still care so I'll just keep my mouth shut. Head shut? Whichever. Keep it for myself."

He tucks his hands into his ridiculous cream color pants pockets. Material meant to be cool in does not feel like it's protective enough. Even now, he's in a state where he wants to be constantly armored. It feels better that way.

[bodyoftheseus]

V's gaze followed Yondu's on down the river to the scene of all of the varied reactions to the experience. It made V tired. He wished that he could be one of the people who felt some kinda way sending a message to their loved one - sending an apology and stone full of "I love you, I miss you" to Kerry. If only, if only.

"Think if you got things you wanna say to people you should send it. Based on what I heard 'round the train we don't know next time you'll get a chance." He looked back to Yondu. "Think it's better to say it than regret sayin' nothin' in a week. What ifs 'n all that."

His gaze fell back down to the entropy before them.

"'Sides, sometimes people who care act like they don't 'cause of some real gonk hangups." Obviously he has no context of what happened to the man next to him, but that kind of thinking was the exact same thing V would do. Was actively doing.

Picnic

[fightcreamsundae]

Cherry always loved playing dress up and this time when the train had opened the dressing carriage she found a dress that suited her well, though she still opted to wear her voidtrecker boots. It was a simple but cute ensemble. She had sent off her messages and had started making her rounds to visit with everyone and chat now that everyone had an opportunity to sit and relax a little.

Fortunately - or maybe unfortunately, if he truly wanted solitude - Cherry had a wide range and had found Yondu and made the decision to approach. He looked unhappy and Cherry didn't really like that.

"Hi Mr. Yondu. Is it okay if I sit with you?" Her hands were folded before her and her tail was down, swaying slowly.

[yondu]

At this point Yondu's sitting on the jacket part of his suit, pink shirtsleeves rolled up so his blue forearms are showing. It's a mishmash of Lisa Frank color that he really didn't intend when he grabbed just, whatever.

"Cherryblossom?" Oh, he hadn't seen her since the catacombs. He puts an arm out and gestures her over.

"Come on, I wanted to see how you was doin' anyway. Didn't see ya when I was around the city."

[fightcreamsundae]

He ears picked up a little as he invited her over and she settled down on the blanket, folding her legs beneath her and smoothing her dress out once she was all settled in. After tossing pebbles into the river, well, weird colored shirts against weird colored skin just reminded her an awful lot of home. Yondu may not be purple, may not be eight fulms tall, but there was comfort in the lack of attention to fashion, comfort in their differences.

"Oh, well, someone had to keep an eye on the kids, you know?" She smiled to him. It doesn't quite meet her eyes as she remembers Rich and how he was acting, but it was okay. "I'm okay. I got through it, and you got through it, and... I think we did it, right?" She looked up to him.

"We saved them? There was so much going on and at some point I kinda lost track..." She wasn't so good at acting and on the train she had been a little withdrawn, which was unusual for her. Even now her smiles didn't quite reach her eyes, she was less bubbly than her normal. Between Rich, how rough the mission was, and now the ability to send messages home without knowing they got there or without a response...