middleofsomewhere | So Familiar a Gleam: Conclusion

Time to leave!

There is not much of the city left, but the park is holding together as those anchoring help those who are not voidtreckers through back to where they belong. Monsters continue to attack and a little further out there is a battle of hearts and minds being fought with the mass of colours and chaos.

Eventually, after the bulk of citizens had been evacuated everyone with SCA's on would hear Jin-Roh's voice after a few frantic beeps, as Chiff aligned everyone's SCA's. "We are almost done here, if you are with anyone not tethered to a voidcraft get them to the evacuation point, as quickly as possible."

Anan pulls out of the anchoring point to call out to any defenders in the park. "Come on! Anyone who isn't a voidtrecker! It's time to go."

Luckily those off fighting the entity headed the message and made their way to the park as Jin Roh spoke again.

"Everyone else get ready. When we call it you need to leave. If you don't have your SCA on then get to someone who does."

As the last people rushed to the park Anan calls out again, through her SCA and outloud to the park. "You need to unanchor, before you can evacuate. Everyone be ready."

She goes in again though, because there are some last people, those from the large battle, getting through as another message was called.

"Almost there. Be ready. On my command..."

Anan unanchored again. "Quick everyone unanchor."

"NOW" Jin Roh's voice came through strong on their SCA's. Hopefully those with SCA's would grab those without.

There is some outside help as well, the train pulls anyone who is unconscious or still under the entity's control, forcibly evacuating them. This includes Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji and Zagreus.

Luggage Carriage

There has been a mass evacuation before and that was crazy enough but since then the population of the train has almost doubled and now it is an extremely tight squeeze as everyone crashes into the luggage carriage at the same time.

The train jerks and rolls as they enter into the void at breakneck speed and again as they seem to slow, rather than speeding off though the void.

There's a crackling from their SCA's. "Voidtreckers? Voidtreckers come in!" Anan's voice. "Please tell me you made it..."

There's only a few moments of signal and soon they are flying though the void again, away from the strange non-world, the entity sealed for now. To new adventures, but first hopefully some time to recover from all that has happened.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Of course." It does not take him long to gather the ingredients and tools needed, and carrots, celery, and cutting board all float to a nearby counter and set themselves down. The only thing he retrieves himself is the knife - best not to let that one float in midair at all.

"I do not. I had intended to get married at one point, but...things do not always work out the way we plan them." Annelise had died, and he could not see him spending his life with anyone else. "That said, for the time that it lasted, I rather enjoyed being a father." It's the truth, and he says it with a smile. In the illusion, he had adopted all three of his children - that much, at least, is in line with his thinking.

But this is not entirely about him, is it. This is about Ken, questioning things. "Did you think this mission had changed the nature of your relationship with Vexen?"

Hm. It's an answer that makes sense... still.

"I don't know. He... he adopted me, but I... there's a lot of kids who don't... work out with families for one reason or another, I hear. And I didn't know i somehow he just... didn't want me anymore, and it picked up on that..."

His voice softens and he takes a moment to breathe. "... I'm used to not being wanted."

Ah. This is absolutely not about him and entirely about Ken. His tone is gentle when he responds. "Have you spoken with Vexen about this at all?" He doubts it - when would there have been time? - but it is worth asking nonetheless.

"No. I... didn't really look, I just kind of ran when everyone could move again. It's... the easiest thing to do."

Not the best, and he knows it, but easiest. "I wanted to go summon Dike and fight something but I figured people wouldn't react well to a gunshot right after a mission like that..."

"Fair points, both of them." He returns to chopping vegetables; he can multitask, and he can always stop should the conversation become more serious than it already is. "For whatever it is worth, I highly doubt Vexen would abandon you at all, let alone so easily. He does not seem the type." He pauses and floats a bowl over for the chopped vegetables. "There is no benefit to borrowing trouble - I would not worry too deeply about it until you are able to speak with Vexen. If you cannot do that, then you should find him as soon as possible, and I will mind the stove in the meantime."

"... I will when people have filtered out a little more. The teleporting gates help, but I know I can find him in the lab or library. That's kind of where he always seems to be."

It makes it easier to track him down, at least.

"... You were a good dad, from what I can remember. Just... so you know."

"Fair." It is an accurate assessment of Vexen's usual routine. "Though I would still recommend going sooner rather than later."

He is quiet for a moment. "Thank you," he says quietly. "I was proud to have you as my son." It is entirely sincere.

"I... I'll try." He's not going to promise anything. It depends on what happens between now and then.

"I... thank you." His face flushes a little bit. "A normal family life... it's been a really long time since I had one of those. Over two years. ... It feels like I'd almost forgotten..."

So Familiar a Gleam: Conclusion

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