middleofsomewhere | The Waking of Neran

The Waking of Neran

"Good morning Voidtreckers and passengers. Today is day twenty one of the month of Orchestra. We will be arriving in System #78961112094711 later today and the dressing carriage is open for your use."

It is indeed, with thick winter coats, hats, scarves and gloves in all sizes. There are also some bags suitable for carrying food, for anyone who wants to add to the festival food with more food!

They have the morning to prepare before another announcement.

"Shortly arriving in System #78961112094711. The weather is extremely cold, voidtreckers and passengers should wrap up warm and wear their SCA's at all times. Arriving in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."
The train shakes as they leave the void and they will see dark skies with glowing flecks of light falling down around them. It's only a glimpse before there is rock to both sides as they enter the landing area.

The Waking of Neran

... ARRIVAL TO OSIGA

THE VOIDTRECKER EXPRESS PULLS INTO AN OPEN HIGH-STACKED PARKING STATION, FILLED ALREADY BY A VARIETY OF VEHICLES. Darkness and the cold spills into where they pull in, lights and signs around to guide the Voidtreckers who exit the craft where they need to go, elevator and teleporting systems available to choose from.

For those turn their gaze to where the cold comes, they will see a view of the world: a landscape of mountains lit in burning bright blue. Like Christmas and city lights, they can be seen in the far distance, and the sky too glows with a shimmering, falling blue. It looks like a slow rain, while farther up, the twinkling of actual stars can be glimpsed.

This will be their view of the world for three Osiga days - 210 hours, give or take.

The lower floor widens into a train-like station, shuttles ready to take them into Osiga proper in short five minute rides. They just need to figure out they need to scan their SCAs at the turnstiles, which will beep with approval, and send a map to their SCA of the grotto.

With a handy dot to their hotel.

... THE IRUE GROTTO

HOTEL. THE EXTERIOR OF THE HOTEL IS STONY, A WALL OF UNEVEN ROCK WITH SLITS FOR WINDOWS CLIMBING UPWARD. It gives off a sparse, cold impression, but the interior is anything but. Inside the floors are smoother, a carpet in the middle of a lobby, and the walls are decorated with colourful paints and endless rugs and furs. There's seating, a roaring fire in one corner, and lighting set to a cosy mood.

There's stairs that can be taken, but also elevators. The bedrooms are much the same as the lobby, with paints and furs all around - the furs especially covering the beds, along with hand stitched quilts. In the centre is a fire pit, set with heatstones than wood or coal, and extras in a container by a wall with safety instructions of how to move them (with tongs and gloves).

Outside the rest of the grotto can be seen, a mish-mash of layers closer to a labyrinth. There's curtains for privacy, and also a screen to help blot out the sound.

FOOD & SIGHTS.

NOW, THE IRUE GROTTO CAN BE EXPLORED. The grotto is easy to get lost in, with stone stairs and archways doubling as bridges to lead to different levels, but always with something to see. Museums and art galleries fill most of the lower layers down, a few shops between of traditional trinkets and garments for those who come out interested in taking a piece of Osiga back with them. There are also day classes, with candle-making a big one on the first night.

Water runs through constructed streams, small but always in travel. They fall off into small waterfalls, eventually gathering into pools that always ensure drink is around. But there's also drinking spaces around, wall coves where servers mind the drinks, and people gather around on crouched seating. Privacy isn't a big deal in Osiga; visitors welcomed into conversation freely. The drinks favour the strong, spicy and sweet. Their traditional drinks are a fiery whisky and a sweet creamy milk drink flavoured by spices that taste very much like cinnamon and nutmeg. It is strongly alcoholic though there is a non alcoholic version as well. There are other drinks available of course from other planets but visitors are encouraged in a good natured way to try the good stuff.

And let's not forget the food. Most traditional Osigian dishes are spicy yet sweet, fatty, and largely meat. There are also food baskets all over, filled with wrapped snacks free for taking, or to add your own. Never let your neighbour go hungry. What will you find, dipping your hand in: a treat, or a mistake?

SORS PARKS, OPEN SKIES. THE FARTHER FROM THE HOTELS AND STATION VISITORS GO, THE MORE THE SKY BECOMES VISIBLE, AND WITH IT THE FALLING SNOW. Except this isn't snow, and those who venture out will figure this soon enough. There are sors parks up ahead, hard to miss for how they glow a brilliant blue, tall erratic sculptures shaped like an abstract mess. They're cold, even colder than the rest of the grotto, and near every entrance are wooden racks with coats and scarfs hanging from pegs, a bucket of heatstones to stick in pockets.

Keeping company is better than not. Anyone who goes in alone will find the chill uncomfortable to those who have someone else nearby, SCAs working stronger together. Paths somehow stay free from being covered in the icy mess, and every few yards are grit bins with small bags to put the contents in, instructions as to what to do.

And that's to throw them at the sculptures, into the air, and watch as the hardened ice disperses into a fizzle of lights. The sight is considered beautiful, and especially fun for kids and couples.

... ANAN & THE MINISTRY

It's maybe an hour or so after their arrival when a message comes through the comms on their SCA's.

boop beep boop beep / boop boop boop/ boop boop/ beep//
beep beep / boop beep//
beep beep beep boop/ boop boop boop/ beep beep/ boop beep beep / boop / beep boop beep/ beep/ boop beep boop beep/ boop beep boop/ beep/ beep boop beep/ beep beep beep//

"It didn't close the hack. I think your Voidtrecker Express likes me." Anan sounds almost triumphant. "Glad you all came. I'm at the drinking space next to the Irue Museam of Osigan Art."

For those that wish to go and meet her, they can.

... THE WAKING OF NERAN

NIGHT ONE: REMEMBERING. It's hard to tell when 'night' begins when the world is in darkness and there are more hours in the day then they are perhaps used to. But things begin to wind down a little, the art houses and museums close and the day activities are wrapped up.

People begin making their way to the main streets where the parade will go. Some people may have made candles throughout the day but there are also long candles for sale and 'fire' bearers carrying large torches to light the candles. The main lights are all turned off, plunging the streets into darkness lit only by the candles and the faint distant glow of sors.

The parade itself has large lit floats, literally floating above the ground, the lights are in intricate shapes. There are light dancers- people dressed completely in black to blend in to the night, with ribbons of light doing feats of acrobatics to music- instruments and volcaless voices weaving melodies.

After the parade passes by people move to the streams, where their floating candles that can be lit and sent on their way. There are designated areas for the tall candles to be placed- almost shrine like with areas to pray or think or sing- the helpful guides will assist anyone and are very open to the different ways people from various worlds and cultures may wish to remember their dead.

Afterwards people are encouraged to drink, eat, spend time with the living and swap stories of the dead. Dance and sing. It is upbeat, joyous and the tears are meant to be cathartic.

NIGHT TWO: PERSEVERING. After another day of activities- or resting and recovering from the excess of the night before the grotto again is ready in anticipation. The side of the grotto open to the sky is packed with people, ledges and railings packed with people. Even the buildings on this side of the grotto have opened their doors to allow people up on their roofs to watch the firework display.

Sparklers are sold, as are snacks and drinks and a voice comes through speakers throughout the space.

"NERAN! On this night you fight!" The crowd cheers. "Hear our dedication, return to us! For tonight is a night of COURAGE!"

The crowd cheers again and the fireworks begin. Loud and colourful, beautiful shapes, almost like dances in the sky. It's loud and it's busy but the atmosphere is great, throughout the night within the crowd there are marriage proposals, declarations of new jobs, decisions to travel the void. Bravery and courage abound- helped probably by the strong whisky that is flowing freely.

NIGHT THREE: UNITY. The festival continues, though it's a slightly later start on day three for many who are nursing hangovers, having a well earned sleep in preparation for the final night or just frantically trying to remember what declarations they had made the night before.

But the activities are still happening throughout the grotto- though the guides might advise any obvious voidtravellers that they may wish to nap before 'night' time, especially if they are not used to day/night cycles this long. The final night doesn't stop til sunrise after all and no one wants to miss the sun rising!

As the time comes for the party to start every square and every street is packed, music blares through speakers. Traditional Osigan music mixed with styles and music from other planets in the galexy. The traditional Osigan music has many layers, deep bass instruments that seem to make the ground itself rumble.

There is dancing, led by guides and locals. They are big circle dances, loud energetic and done in unity. There are callers who keep everyone in time and remind them of the steps but it is mostly an exercise in organised chaos.

But very fun organised chaos. There's extra chairs and benches set around for people who would rather watch or need a break from the endless swirl of dancers. There's plenty of water in large barrels for people to help themselves and other drinks are available to buy.

The party goes on for hours but eventually the music stops and there is an announcement that they have an hour left until sunrise. People begin moving out to find the best spots to watch. Up high on the cliffs people spread out rugs and blankets and settle, waiting.

The atmosphere is one of anticipation, people passing around drinks and snacks. Then there is a hush, a cry as for the first time in a month the first ray of light streaks across the sky.

Neran has awoken. The sun has returned once more.

OOC NOTES

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Soldat looks up in surprise at Yondu coming back in earlier than anticipated. They'd grown tired of wandering and holed up in their room again, this time with extra blankets and music playing on the table instead of in headphones. The fireworks at least seem to have stopped for now.

"Yondu--" They swallow the immediate desire to ask if he's okay, because it definitely looks like he's not okay. They unwind from their little nest of blankets by the fireplace and creep over. Not getting up, just kind of scooting over to the bed, because getting up to walk three steps is inefficient, and they're more comfortable staying below Yondu's level when he's-- crying. Shit. "Jesus. I. No, I won't tell anybody. Hell, why would I."

He makes an angry noise into his hands, like he's livid that he's doing this to himself. "I need a glass of somethin', don't matter what. Water, whiskey, can of somethin', don't care."

It's all struggled and strained out before he uncovers his face angrily, hating that he let himself get to that point. He finds the tissues in his pocket that he usually keeps around for everyone else but him and scrubs at his face furiosly. Winces as he blows his nose, obviously pissed off that he's doing it.

"Talked about the kids again." The kids he'd told Soldat about, a long time ago. The onese he never really mentioned to anyone in a way that was easy to put together. But he'd sat down and laid the story out to someone and in this setting thinking of the crew that died, thinking of friends it cost him, thinking of the children themselves? It got to him.

There isn't any booze in the hotel room unless Yondu brought it there, so Soldat does finally pick themselves up and hurry to the sink to pour him a cup. They bring it back, and sit on the bed this time, not touching him but close enough to if Yondu wants it. "That had to be hard," they say. They don't like thinking about missions where they had to kill innocents, either. There was a school bus once....

(No. You're right. I can't help Yondu if I'm getting myself upset. Sorry. Good.)

"Goddammit, I need to stop it. Hell." He rubs at his eyes again with the heels of his hands, practically punishingly before he takes the cup and downs it. He drags in some ragged, forced breaths after, winces like he's bracing for a punch and fighting off the urge to continue.

Soldat seemed pretty brave at the moment, Yondu can't stand what his face is doing. That if anyone saw him like this they would have ruined him without a second thought.

"I wanna just go one goddamn day without feelin' foolish. Either I don't deserve nothin' or I keep wantin' better for good people that ain't no better'n me. My brain is just a big ol' broken heap of bullshit with wires all stuck in it an' a flag on top." Even now as he feels half shattered he's cracking wise.

Edited 2021-12-19 22:06 (UTC)

"Yondu. Hey. No. There is nothing wrong with crying," Soldat says firmly. "Anyone who told you different. Was an asshole." They hesitate, then put a hand on his back and rub gently, little circles. It's not a hug, but it's something. "And it's definitely okay with me, I don't think you're foolish. I do this all the time, right?"

Yondu's had to deal with it like twice, now! It seems only fair that Soldat return the favor. It probably helps that since their death, Soldat has had nothing but positive reinforcement to tears.

He still manages to fight it back, even with the consolations. Just because it feels so wrong and foreign and unhinged coming out of him, like he's finally devolved from the man that had some tiny pretense of holding it all together.

Though he knows he lost that long ago.

He lears his throat. "Ain't a fool for this. That's just... incidental." He mutters as he tries to scrub the last of the wetness from weathered cheeks. "Ever'thin' else, though. Ever'thin' else I'm real foolish at."

"Well. We all have programming," Soldat says after a beat, still rubbing Yondu's back slowly. That was one of their earliest revelations when it came to understanding other people, that even though most other people didn't go through their exact kind of programming, they were still shaped by their worlds in ways they didn't always want.

And that leads to the obvious follow-up, to their mind: "And we're all learning how to get better. That's what matters. That we try to be better." Even if the things Yondu did before were bad, or foolish, now he knows and he can not make those mistakes again.

It's a lot of things. The kids. The fact that he's having trouble accepting that he should be alone and focus on his own claimed family. That it all reminds him that in some ways he's just as needy and shitty as he was as a young man, it's just manifested in different ways.

That his parents left him somewhere to be broken, and he found himself wanting to light candles for them just to snuff them out.

Soldat isn't wrong though. It's programming, but it's programming that is so damn hard to break. It's programming that he almost misses 'cause even a few decades and some change later it feels simpler than the life of poor choices and unfulfilled dreams he walked into.

After another angry, belligerent grunt he stops wiping his face. He's fought back his control between guzzling the water and struggling through his thoughts and the gentle patting at his back. "Swear to god if I could I'd find at least one universe where I ain't done this shit yet an' taken me out before I could try." Which... is probably not the best option when he could warn himself, but that's self-loathing talking. "You're right though. Ain't nothin' better I can do than watch out for the ones here."

There's certainly been times Soldat missed the simplicity of HYDRA, of not having all these goddamn feelings and reactions and people wanting things they didn't understand. But they know it's better to get better, to be themselves, person or not, and have people to love. "I've had that thought, too. Imagining all the lives that could be saved if I just died on that table back in the war." They shakes their head. "That's not going to happen, though, so all we can do is do better now. And you already are, Yondu. You know that you are."

"I cain't tell how I'm doin'...." He says with more honesty than he could admit earlier, when he'd recounted his stories.

"I don't know if I'm only bein' decent because of guilt or because I lost ever'thin'. Or if I am actually decent and them are just contributin' factors. I don't even know if that matters."

He's also keenly aware, between talking to Anan and recounting his story to Tobirama, that even now his 'goodness' is limited in scope. Often there are times he has no desire to finish one of their world-saving missions. His priority is just to protect the crew and make sure they pull through, even at his own expense. A person or two at a time? Sure. A city? Pass.

He legitimately cares about their people. But he also legitimately doesn't give enough of a damn to do the right thing for a whole world just on his own. So what does that make him? He's incredibly lucky for the Big Damn Heroes in his life because they're what really sparks his interest in the right thing on a bigger scale.

Soldat considers that a moment. "I'm not sure if it really matters. You're still working as a team. Leading people on good missions to keep them safe. If you're only doing it out of guilt, you're still doing it. Good things still come out of it. And the more you do it, the easier it gets to add more people to the ones you keep safe."

They still clearly remember the moment they realized they had multiple friends, and hadn't even realized it. So that one they know pretty intimately. And now on the train, they'd done it again, gotten themselves more people they love, made their own circle bigger.

They're positive Yondu can do the same, probably already has. Maybe also without realizing it.

God, god has he missed having a team. It's not until Soldat voices it that he realizes that's what he's been clinging to, just the sheer want of having that again.

"Alright," he mutters. Not convinced that maybe it doesn't matter, but if it's... well, not exactly okay, but if Soldat can live with it, maybe it's something Yondu can coast by on. Not exactly being a good person, but not being a bad one, either. Or maybe being both in some kind of measure. That feels more realistic.

He clears his throat. "Shoulda held it together better. I'm slippin'."

"I don't mind," Soldat says again, firm and loyal. "If you ever need to cry, you can do it with me. A lot of the time I feel better after, if I can cry on somebody." Yondu, they imagine, would surely experience the same if it's someone he trusts.

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The Waking of Neran

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Sorry for all the typos.

honestly I don't notice them :P

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