middleofsomewhere | The Endless River

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"No, I haven't. Your dad is off training and I think." Which would mean her ticket for flying has been revoked for a little bit longer unless Trunks would like to escort her to show her. She hefts up a picnic basket that's about as stuffed as it can get to show him, proud of how much she's managed to fit in that basket in particular.

"I don't know if I'll convince your father to leave anything, but I've packed as much as I can regardless."

"I know he's been wanting to really cut loose without having to worry about friendly fire. Which, I appreciate him worrying about, considering he did cut loose during the last mission." So him training would make complete sense to Trunks. He'd probably sense it sooner or later.

"Could be useful for attracting others you want to talk to here too, there are a few big eaters on the train besides us half-saiyans." Trunks said with a grin. "Do you want to see the top of a mushroom before, or after you eat?" Because he was willing to ferry her up to a few for the view.

"Well.. he's got some things to test out." What with the return of his tail and everything. But she's careful not to reveal everything just in case Vegeta hadn't wanted to share it just yet. After all, he can be a bit finicky with the information he shares, whether it's with their children or other people, and she doesn't want to step on his toes just in case. Anyway -

"I don't typically have trouble attracting people." Bulma smiles in that too confident way before her shoulders shrug. If not because of her looks, then the fact that she certainly does not stray away from or hesitate with approaching people she wants to speak to.

"Let's go now. Once I get to eating and drinking I'm going to want to stay put."

"Give me the basket then." No way was he leaving it behind for someone else to grab, after his mother went to all that trouble. Holding out his hand, for her to pass it, before moving closer. Sliding his other arm around her in a hug. "Hold on." Starting to lift off the ground, to take them to a mushroom cap.

"I can carry it..." She'd packed it, after all, but eventually, Bulma gives in and allows Trunks to have the basket. He'll just insist until she hands it over anyway, so far as she can tell, so no use in bickering back and forth. Not in this little vacation world anyway.

Bulma has full confidence in Trunks even as he tells her to hold on, nodding that she was ready before Trunks lifts off. "You know, I really should've convinced your dad to teach me how to fly at some point."

Before he became her taxi, anyway.

He knew she could carry it, but he wanted to anyways. Glad that they weren't going to argue about it, too.

"We could try and teach you now. I could, or Piccolo could. Actually Piccolo might be a better choice. I learned the hard way at times." It didn't take them long to get to the top of one of the giant mushroom caps. Soon enough Bulma was back on somewhat solid ground, and able to enjoy the view.

"Learn it and shock your dad?" Bulma laughs a little at the thought. Of course, she could learn, and probably wouldn't take too incredibly long to do so, but... then she wouldn't be able to demand Vegeta help her. Now, with little time together... it was nice to have an excuse to be close even for a little while.

"Mn. But then I lose my taxi excuse and that's not good." Don't tell your dad on her, Trunks. She steps on to the top of the mushroom for a little look around, already grinning at the view.

"Oh wow! This is an even better picnic spot isn't it?"

"Want to stay up here? You wouldn't be the only one using the top of these for picnics." Trunks would keep her secret for now.

"Well, it would be easy for your dad to find me.." She laughs at the thought, though.. the sun does really feel good. After everything in the last city this little vacation is definitely a much-needed R&R for all of them, though some would use it more than others.

"Want to stay with me for a snack?"

"I'm pretty sure if I turn down food, I'm sick or something else is wrong with me." Trunks replied, moving to place the basket down and take a seat. "How are you? How are you adjusting to the train so far?" A pause, and then a grin. "I haven't heard shouting yet, so I've been taking that as a good sign."

"Well, I'm never sure if you have other plans." After all, there's a girlfriend in the mix these days, and though Bulma does tend to have a selfish streak, she's not going to prevent him from any time he was meant to spend there, either.

"It's... okay, I guess. I wish I had more space but then again I've always been spoiled for that. That and not being able to have a space with your father is kind of wearing on me..." Vegeta and Bulma may not have had the most warm and fuzzy start, but their bond now is deeper than she ever expected. Having very sparse time alone with him, where Vegeta feels more free to be himself, isn't the easiest thing to deal with. They usually had time over coffee in the mornings, a little bit of time to themselves before bed. And here it's significantly less.

"Mostly I've been keeping to working. It keeps my mind off of things."

"I mean, I all-but-live in the training gym these days." Even with his girlfriend, Trunks' schedule was pretty full. If the pair didn't train together, they might not GET any other time together without being clever.

"Space would be a nice thing. I've gotten used to the train here, but I kind of miss my own room too." He could agree with her about wanting more space. And alone time, although it was still weird to think that his parents were on good terms and there.

"What're you working on, and do you want my help at all?" Her lab HAD been his first playground after all. He might not be the genius that she was, but he knew his way around tech and mechanics enough to be of use.

The Endless River

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