middleofsomewhere | Enemy Unknown: Conclusion

The third night is as long and creepy as the others...

It might be that they found the engine room, solved the puzzles and found themselves in the hangar bay with no way out. It might be that they were still in the station hiding from the invisible monsters. Or it might be that they had been plucked from the mission and were waiting in their holding room.

Either way morning dawns on the fourth day...

ENEMY: UNKNOWN

DAY FOUR

the trapped. THOSE WHO SOLVED THE ENGINE ROOM SPENT THE NIGHT IN A LARGE HANGAR THAT DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE ANY DOORS. Their SCA's are working, so they can still communicate with those in the station, perhaps talk them through the engine room puzzles or tell them to stay clear. As morning comes all the lights in the hangar come on. Brighter than any lights so far in the station, harsh white light after the eerie red of the rest of the mission.

Everyone still in the station wakes where they fell asleep - if they slept at all. It's not long after most people are up and about that they will hear a high-pitched beep from their SCA, and then a blue light will envelop them and those around them. It might be they spot their friends vanishing before they too disappear.

They arrive in the hangar, reunited with those who spent the night there. All their gear is with them at least, but that doesn't solve the problem of being in a hangar with no obvious way out. Nor are any of those who vanished during the last three days here, their SCA's still go unanswered.

the vanished. FOR THOSE IN THE HOLDING ROOM, THEIR NIGHT HAS PROCEEDED MUCH LIKE THE NIGHTS BEFORE. One of the screens showed the hangar, and those that had succeeded in completing the engine room task. The lights had dimmed for sleeping and turned on again bright in the morning. For those watching the screens they will see those in the station vanish in blue light and turn up in the hangar.

Around half an hour later a voice sounds in the room. "Please gather your belongings and prepare for release."

It's another ten minutes, allowing them to make sure they have all their things before their SCA's beep. They are then surrounded by a blue light, taking them from the room they had spent the last few days in.

REUNITED

reunion. AN HOUR PASSES AFTER FIRST ARRIVALS PASS IN THE HANGAR. Suddenly, there is another flash of blue light, and the missing eighteen Voidtreckers appear with the rest of their crew. They will find they had all their gear as well, including their missing weapons.

They are left to their own devices for a small while, a time for reuniting with friends, but not long enough to exchange stories before a voice rings out in the hangar:

"THANK YOU CREW OF THE VOIDTRECKER EXPRESS FOR YOUR COMPLIANCE. YOU MAY RETURN TO YOUR CRAFT."
There is a loud mass of beeping as everyone's SCA's flashes at the same time, holographic messages popping up too fast to be able to read them in their entirety.

Voidtreckers come in.

All Voidtreckers return to the Voidtrecker Express
Voidtreckers evacuate now

Voidtreckers do you read?

Layers of holographic messages pile on top of each other but a moment later everyone's SCA's glow gold and everyone vanishes from the hangar...

LUGGAGE CARRIAGE

return. EVERYONE ARRIVES INSIDE THE LUGGAGE CARRIAGE, PACKED LIKE SARDINES BETWEEN SUITCASES AND TRUNKS. There is no announcement, no warning of returning to the void; just a lurch that is likely to throw anyone on the train unaware of what has just happened off their feet, no matter the carriage they're in.

They return to the void at what feels like breakneck speed. Colours fly past the windows, and it is a good few hours before they seem to slow to their normal travel speed.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Vexen finds Ansem last.

The King seems tired, though one would have to know him well to notice; instead, he, much like Vexen, is working with others, assisting them in gathering themselves and their belongings and escaping. When he notices Even, though- something in his gaze flashes, rare and brief.

Relief.

It's gone a moment later, replaced by a weary - albeit far more composed - smile, and he begins squeezing his way towards the other with murmured apologizes towards those he moves past.

He hadn't had time to find Ansem in the hangar before they'd been pulled back, and then the crowded carriage made it difficult to search for individual people. When he finally spots Ansem, it's like a weight is lifted off his shoulders. He makes his own way through the crowd, reaching out to grab Ansem by the shoulders and look him over, as though still worried he'll spot some sort of horrible injury.

"There you are. Ken had informed me as to the...cause of your disappearance, but I am given to understand you were hardly more comfortable than the rest of us."

Well then. Ansem manages a soft chuckle, reaching up to pat Vexen's hands, though for the moment he allows himself to be fussed over.

"It was not the most hospitable of experiences," he agrees, scanning Vexen as well. He had seen him on the monitors, but... "However, I am unharmed, as you can see. You are as well...?"

He was told no deliberate injury would occur. But the situation was...harrowing, to say the least.

"Nothing more than some minor bruising that I have already dealt with. Such was my own fault, I am not...accustomed to having human limitations anymore."

He's not sure if he should be concerned or not by how much he's simply gotten used to being a Nobody, and the side effects that come with being outside of the normal laws of nature. It's something he can think about later, when he isn't in a position of frequently needing to take advantage of his inhuman nature.

For now, his focus is on Ansem, here and safe. After a moment to confirm he's unharmed, he pulls the older man into a desperate seeming hug, albeit an awkward one as he tries to avoid squeezing the air out of him.

"I had feared the worst."

Ah.

That is a bit more surprising. But after only an initial tensing, more from the surprise than anything else, Ansem finds himself relaxing and...leaning in to it, his own arms coming to rest about Even's shoulders.

"...I am here."

A pause, and then, quieter-

"Will you take us elsewhere?"

It isn't that he has any shame of this; far from it. But he finds himself weary, and growing wearier by the moment; Vexen may no doubt feel more of the King's weight against him.

He nods, and darkness lifts up from the floor to surround them. It's a brief trip, and when the blackness recedes, they're in the spa car. The lounge chairs might not be large, but they're good enough for now.

"I believe we could both use some time to ourselves to relax."

It had been some time since he had traveled through such means. His grip briefly tightens, but Ansem is no worse for the wear when they arrive. Though he does seem a bit surprised at Even's choice in location, considering his disinclination for the heat.

Another smile tugs at his lips. He does not pull away more than is needed to look around.

"I believe you are correct." A pause, and then, dryly- "Have you had someone else helping you with...?"

His scars.

He gives a faint, if tired, smirk at Ansem's look of surprise, and removes one arm from around his boyfriend to shake his sleeve back just far enough to show off the Firaga bangle clasped firmly around his wrist. The Fire Chain would make the point more strongly, but clipped at his belt as it is, it's slightly more difficult to show without stepping back.

The question, however, causes his look of amusement to drop as he shakes his head.

"I did not wish to take people's time away from searching. I will admit, they have gotten rather...unpleasant, while we were thus preoccupied."

The humor is gone, but he's not angry or even annoyed, just..."Even." Really, what did Ansem expect? Nonetheless. "If you would allow me to take care of that, then, before we do anything else."

To do something other than milling about, waiting.

"It would make it far easier to make myself comfortable."

It does, however, require him to let go. He drops his coat over one of the loungers, making the silent decision that he's not likely to put it back on for a while. As familiar as its presence is, the weight is uncomfortable on his dry skin. The shirt and cravat stay draped over his arms for now, he hasn't yet decided if he'll be making use of any of the facilities requiring a bathing suit.

His back is visibly dry and angry, with dead skin flaking off, only for the bits to dissolve into black mist as they fall. With the remnants of the flaky skin being identical to the mist that seeps out of his wounds, it's difficult to tell if any of the skin has cracked open or not.

It isn't the first time Ansem's seen such a thing, considering how he's taken on the duty, but it hasn't been this bad for some time. Now he frowns, brow furrowing in concern, and begins assembling the oils.

"...our relationship aside, it worries me when you aren't able to take care of yourself. Especially during times of stress."

"I am working on what will hopefully be a more permanent solution to this problem in particular, at least."

He opts to sit on the edge of one of the massage tables as Ansem gathers the moisturizing oils.

"I have acquired an ablative laser for resurfacing treatments, and am in the process of enchanting it so that it will work properly on a magical being."

"Oh?" That certainly catches his attention. "I'd certainly be interested in taking a look." It wouldn't be the first time he'd ~~played~~ tinkered with lasers, and he quite doubts it'd be the last. But for now...

For now, he's just enjoying the feeling of not being useless as he gets to work.

The oils, frankly, feel wonderful against his dry skin. The dead flakes fall off with minimal pressure, dissolving into raw Nothing and vanishing before they even hit the massage table. It may take a few days to heal fully, but for now, just relief from the worst of it is more than welcome.

"I have been leaving it in the medical car when I am not working on it. I will, of course, need to wear some fire resistant armor to ensure it doesn't do more harm than good, but I already possessed a Fire Chain that will suffice perfectly."

Enemy Unknown: Conclusion

kind of adjusts to make things easy w/ what i had in mind

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Kinda gross description of a skin condition in here

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject