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

[miseris_socios]

He picks up the ball and smiles slightly at Wormmon. ... It makes him miss Koromaru, but... well. At least the other Ken has someone?

"You did. Maybe we can think of a way to help you move the ball around if you want..."

[ourtomorrow]

This has never occurred to Wormmon! He'd thought he was okay just watching and cheering for Ken-chan, but...but if he got to do cool soccer things....and work as a team WITH Ken-chan....!!

"Really?"

"It's a game for fun," Ken reminds him. "If my team having two players isn't unfair" - this is important to him, he does not wish to have an advantage! - "I'm glad to have you."

----KEN-CHAN IS GLAD TO HAVE HIM!!!!

[miseris_socios]

"I don't really mind. ... You're Ken's friend and partner, so you should get to play with him. It'd be the same thing if Koromaru were here with me." There's no way he'd play against Koromaru. It'd probably stress him out, anyway.

[ourtomorrow]

Ken and Wormmon feel the same way about each other (Wormmon is not even sure he could play against Ken-chan!), so Wormmon skitters next to his teammate. "Then, I..."

Ken puts a hand to his chin. "To still be 'soccer', the ball shouldn't touch a player's hands. Wormmon's hands are also his feet.....

"Unless." Here is a thought. "Could he play goalkeeper?"

[miseris_socios]

"Um... maybe? It depends... the ball goes pretty high sometimes and also fast."

And Wormmon is... very smol. No offense, Wormmon.

[ourtomorrow]

"That's true." They should consult the most important person involved. Ken kneels so he is on Wormmon's level. "What do you think, Wormmon? Do you want to guard the goal or pass the ball?"

"I'll pass the ball!" Wormmon takes a few scoots backwards, a fierce expression on his face. "If I can't touch it with my limbs, I'll do - this!"

And he jumps forward, claws spread, as if he's going to butt the ball with his mandibles. "Or this!"

He waggles his spinnerets, miming whacking the ball. PERFECT PLAN.

[miseris_socios]

"I think... maybe you can have an exception, since you don't really have... hands? They're kind of all legs but also not."

He looks to the other Ken. What's your ruling, friend?

[ourtomorrow]

"Can I?"

Now Wormmon is looking over at this Ken as well. Who grins. He'd been making it too complicated, huh.

"That's right. Move the ball however you'd like."

"Hooray!"

Ken smiles gratefully at...Ken. Thanks for catching him.

[miseris_socios]

"Sounds good to me. You should be able to have fun too." After all, he's Ken's partner.

"Do you want to try kicking it, Wormmon?"

[ourtomorrow]

Does he ever! Wormmon springs into position behind the ball with an audible boing. "Leave it to me."

Ken starts to back up. "I'll cover you," he says, not minding that he's giving away his strategy to Amada-kun. This also makes Wormmon feel very professional. He is a soccer player! People do things like Cover him! Whatever that means!

So he scrunches himself up - and launches himself at the ball. "Yaaah!!"

All that talk about his legs, and they're not long enough for him to reach the ball with anyway. Wormmon headbutts the soccer ball with all of his might!

[miseris_socios]

... That works. Ken runs after the ball - Wormmon is small, there's only so much force he can hit the ball with. He catches it easily and runs it back down the field, tapping it over towards Wormmon. "That was pretty good. Do you want to try again?"

[ourtomorrow]

"Yeah!" Wormmon sizes up the ball, running up to it and giving it smaller body taps.

"Ken-chan, watch. This is dribbling, right?"

"Right." Ken smiles as he watches Wormmon work hard. His partner always gives his all....

Oh, but the ball is not necessarily going where Wormmon wants it to. Control is hard, isn't it? Ken moves to pass the ball back to his partner.

"Thank you! You're so kind!"

Ken shares a look with the other Ken. They may need to spot the ball, if that's okay.

[miseris_socios]

He nods at the other ken. This has evolved mostly into practice rather than competition, and he's okay with that. The next time Wormmon lets the ball drift Ken is there to gently nudge it back towards the little Digimon.

"You've got it, keep going." It must be hard to coordinate that many limbs... sometimes he has trouble with just four. "You're almost there."

... A little further than 'almost', but he's trying to be encouraging.

[ourtomorrow]

He's almost there!!! This knowledge excites Wormmon and spurs him to keep doing his best. Bump.....bump......do Ken-chan's feet get sore after soccer? Maybe soccer players get used to hitting things with themselves all of the time. Ken-chan is so TOUGH.

So Wormmon will be too.

He bumps the ball with extra force, encouraged, and it starts to go the wrong way.....But he reaches out with one of his lower legs and taps it back in the direction he wants! The ball corrects itself, and Wormmon looks up at both Kens as if to say DID YOU SEE?????? DID YOU SEE THAT EXTREMELY SOCCER THING I JUST DID????????

Ken-chan smiles. And Wormmon nearly loses control of the ball all over again.

[miseris_socios]

The other Ken smiles, too. "Good job controlling the ball. A little bit more... you can do it, Wormmon!"

It's strange, how light he feels when he's doing something like this with Ken and Wormmon. It's like someone's come along and shouldered the sky alongside him. He's... going to have to think about that, later. Maybe talk to Ken while Wormmon is busy.

[ourtomorrow]

Both Kens are watching. THEY SAW THE EXTREMELY SOCCER THING WORMMON JUST DID!!!!

Time to do something even more soccer, and more amazing. Wormmon scrunches himself up and - "Hyaaahh!!" - shoots the ball at the goal. It leaves the ground for a moment, rolls, rolls....is indeed headed in the right direction...

....slows.....

Ken is wearing an expression as intense as any he's worn during battle. Come on! Come on...roll a little farther....for Wormmon.....

[miseris_socios]

Well, from Wormmon’s perspective it might be hard to tell that the ball stops just short. Time to celebrate anyway.

“You did it!” Ken goes to pick up Wormmon as long as the little Digimon doesn’t show any objections to it and holds him up high.

[ourtomorrow]

"Uwaaaaaaahhh!!"

Wormmon is startled, but pleased once he realizes why he is All The Way Up Here Now. "Ken-chan, did you see? Did you see???"

...Ah. Ken sees what is happening. And they can't really be sticklers for the size or shape of such an indeterminate goal, can they? Wormmon scored. Yes, when one considers the circumstances, Wormmon has surely scored a point.

He comes up beneath his partner, smiling. "Mm. Good job."

[miseris_socios]

He grins at Wormmon and gently places him atop the other Ken's head. "See? You're a good soccer player."

Maybe he'll need a bit more practice, but still. For a worm it's pretty damn good.

<-foreshadowing

[ourtomorrow]

Oh! Head worm! Wormmon clings as Ken nearly overbalances, then fixes himself. He has to lean forward a little to accommodate Wormmon's bulk, but it's not like his partner is heavy, so....

Yes. They can manage this. Wormmon can stay on his head. Ken smiles. This is nice. (Awkward, but having Wormmon here makes up for it.)

Wormmon, meanwhile, is having THE GREATEST DAY OF HIS LIFE. "Eheheheheheheeeee!!!"

Ken gives...Ken....a grateful grin, nearly chuckling himself. Thank you for this. It had not occurred to him that Wormmon might enjoy this perch, but now that he is thinking about it, many of his friends' Digimon do....Perhaps they should go about like this, more often.

adorable as fuck

[miseris_socios]

"... You make a good team." Again, a pang of missing Koromaru, but he pushes on. "... I'm... I'm really glad I know you two." His face flushes slightly at his words, but he tries to ignore it.

[ourtomorrow]

It's okay, Ken's blushing again now as well. But with a smile. "Me too."

"And me." Wormmon nearly dips in front of Ken's eyes, he is so intent on pushing his way into the conversation. Attention? Attention? He likes the other Ken, too.

[miseris_socios]

"That's good. ... Are you thirsty? I brought some water with me, I was pretty sure we couldn't drink the water..." And given that they're not supposed to have their SCAs off, he's right to have thought so.

[ourtomorrow]

Is he thirsty? Ken has to stop and assess. His mouth is a little dry. They haven't done much running around yet, but if they're going to keep active, hydration is important....

"Thanks." He tries to peer up at Wormmon. "What about you?"

Wormmon puffs himself up. "That much running was noth...ing..."

Puffing up has turned into huffing and puffing. Ken tries to catch the other boy's eyes, then discreetly holds up 2 fingers. A water for the worm, too, please.

[miseris_socios]

He nods and goes over to his bag, pulling out a water bottle. He looks at Wormmon for a moment and opens the bottle, pouring a little into the cap and handing the bottle to Ken and the cap to Wormmon.