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.

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Thanatos had remained on the outskirts of the Ravager Memorial. It hadn't felt right to be any closer given who he is. However, he had created a few purple butterflies to flitter about the candles and lights before dissolving into motes of purple starlight, raining down like the planet's sors. He doesn't stay for any of the feasting and drinking, choosing to whisper a prayer to any other death god present on their behalf and slip away.

He finds Yondu again the next day as he looks for someplace quieter to be. So many people are choosing to loudly declare their love to others. It's almost like Aphrodite is taking over this day of the festival for her own domain.

"Hail, Yondu," Thanatos says and takes note of the blanket-scarf. "Is the cold bothering you?"

"Hey there, big guy."

Yondu looks down at the blanket around his neck. "Seems like overkill, don't it? My little girl made it. Raven." He's fully claimed her as his daughter at this point, and he's damn sure he can do a better job of dadding than a demon, thanks.

"I'm pretty hardy. I stand up to extreme temperatures better'n most. How are you doin'?"

He suspects that no weather deters Death, but he could be wrong.

Raven is Yondu's daughter? Thanatos can hear the pride in Yondu's voice, and that more than anything confirms his words. He mentally connects the two just like he had connected Yondu and Soldat. (Although he may be a bit mistaken of the nature of their relationship.)

"Death approaches no matter what the weather. In fact, weather such as this is closer to what a majority of my assignments are."

Meaning a lot of people die from the cold or cold related deaths... which are many thanks to Demeter.

It probably doesn't help that the two of them are prone to leaning into each other right out in the open, even if it's more a case of two old strays looking for some warmth and comfort than moments of romance.

The fatherly arrangement is one they've both agreed to, since the Diagad thing. But that's beside the point.

"Well, considerin' the last thing I ever felt was bein' cold-" which at the same time as suffocation isn't great, "I see your point." But he doesn't seem particularly sad. Instead he offers some of his fried blubbery treat. "You wanna try it at least?"

Thanatos is relieved that what he said hadn't brought Yondu down. He knows how the man died, and while he spoke of his world, the overlap is there.

Still, the god refuses the offered treat. "No, I don't need to eat."

Something about it reminds Thanatos of the offerings mortals burned for the Olympians, a disguised mass of fat and bones which tricked Zeus and the others by "looking" more appealing. Although, mortals need the meat more than gods, so it is just as well that the gods don't get the best parts of a sacrifice. (It's another example about how the gods do not care for the well being of the mortals, yet people spread the image that Death is the one who is greedy and selfish.)

Yondu has a meat preference, but he's also a walking garbage bin. This particular garbage is particularly well prepared, so he's good with it.

"You picked anything to be brave at? ...I'm generally chosin' to be a chicken shit an' watchin' everyone else be brave."

He also motions to the seat beside him, inviting him to sit if he wants to.

Something to be brave at... Thanatos was also ready to do nothing. However, his fingers brush against something in his pocket. Well, it's not the bravest thing, but maybe he can give this with some amount of confidence. Thanatos hasn't had a good track record when it comes to giving people keepsakes.

So, he tries before he has a chance to overthink it and muddle through his words.

"Here. This is the Darkness Pull." Thanatos holds out a small string with a dark crystal affixed to the end. It's about a finger's length and just as wide at the crystal, easy to conceal and carry around. The keepsake could be attached to a zipper to look like a fancy zipper pull, completely harmless and unremarkable... to anyone who doesn't know.

"It should guide you in a direct line towards a target of your choosing, letting you refresh or change the target each night. Just concentrate on who or what you want to locate. It will do the rest." A person who Yondu cares for, has a bond with, will be the easiest to find while an inanimate object will give a more general direction.

Thanatos will place the keepsake into Yondu's hands at the first opportunity. "May it help you find whatever's important to you."

Yondu's actually a little surprised when he's suddenly offered the crystal. He blinks hard before reaching out to take it. With the attachments his coat has gathered it'd easily blend in there. But right now he's just surprised to get a gift and stares at it in confusion.

He doesn't know what he did to deserve a gift.

"...Thank ya." He says, looking up, as he turns it around in his fingers. "...I can think of some times this woulda been real useful." Mostly with Peter. Peter being up to absolutely no good. God he misses the hell out of that boy sometimes.

He looks to Thanatos. Quirks his mouth in that confused, 'well shit now what do I do' sorta way. He doesn't have anything he can offer back right away. "I'll make it up to ya. That's a real useful thing."

Yondu taught Thanatos a little about lockpicking. He was able to use that knowledge to make a keepsake for Alice to help her should she every be locked up by a mechanical key. For someone who has trauma from being locked up, it had meant a lot to Thanatos. The keepsake he made for Alice had meant a lot to her. Yondu has also shown himself to care for others, especially the younger ones, and he seemed to check up on Thanatos from time to time.

Thanatos shakes his head. "This is me repaying you. You don't need to do anything more."

His haggard face relaxes then, turning his attention to the item he holds. He hadn't really thought of it as deserving of gratitude. He just wanted people to survive. To get loose out of bad situations. To be free.

He latches it onto one of the straps inside of his coat and pats it. "I'll take care of it. It means a lot to me. Could help a lot out on missions, too, if'n we lose anyone."

For a guy made for murder, and doesn't even mind that he was, he does want to save a lot of people.

"That is the idea. You will let me know if it doesn't work? The piece of darkness should be pulled towards your target. You'll have to find your way around any obstacles, but it's... something."

There are few that Thanatos can find by sense alone from the train, those strongly connected with death, those having died, Zagreus--of course. The living are harder for him to locate, so he doesn't know if there will be difficulties. It's Thanatos's insecurities that cause him to wonder if this might not work more than the keepsake itself.

It occurs to him, then, that he does have to check up on people. He stands up, holding his new gift dangling from between two fingers, adjusting the blanket around his shoulders so it's even more scarf-like, slung out of the way.

"So do I ask it out loud or will it just know if I put my mind to it?"

He's not got many magical items to his name.

"You should be able to do so without voicing it, but if speaking the name helps you focus, then you can do so." The most important thing is to create that connection, and the more the heart is connected to another, the better the keepsake should work.

After putting his mind to it, the pull aims itself towards the hotel, the generally correct direction (he assumes, it's where he'd left Soldat earlier).

"Resets, huh? And it'll do this as long as I'm holdin' it? Won't go draggin' off if I put it down?"

Look he needs to know the particulars.

"Every night you can keep or change the target." Being a child of Night means a lot of night related things.

"I..." Thanatos pauses. He didn't think about that because keepsakes were usually kept on a person... but it's a really good question. He goes over how he imbued the keepsake with his power. "No, I don't think so. It depends partly on your connection to your target. Without you, the connection can't be completed."

Just as a test he puts it down, and fortunately his little divining gem behaves. It just stays put and doesn't scuttle off to be stepped on by someone, which he greatly appreciates.

He picks it up and clips it to a pocket on the inside of his jacket.

"I know you're sayin' it don't cost me nothin', but really. You need or want anything, let me know. Even if it's some kinda plant I can put together for ya, or a fruit or vegetable or somethin'."

Thanatos is relieved that the Darkness Pull doesn't fly off on its own. That would have been disastrous and is something Thanatos is going to consider for any future keepsakes he may make.

Although... this is the second or third time someone has offered to give Thanatos fruit, and the only fruit Thanatos is really familiar with are the pomegranates growing in the Underworld. He knows more exist, like Dionysus's wine grapes or Athena's olive or that golden apple Eris threw, but it's really the pomegranate that comes to mind. And it's not like Thanatos ate the pomegranates. That was mostly Zagreus... who ate them rind and all. Even Thanatos knows that part of the pomegranate isn't meant to be consumed.

And that gives Thanatos an idea. "What about a pomegranate with an edible outside? Like how you can eat an apple without peeling it?"

Between a purchased Pom of Power, Persephone's pomegranate (from the Pom of Power he gave her), Kairi's pomegranate, and now potentially Yondu's pomegranate, Thanatos is going to have a sampling of different pomegranates for Zagreus to try.

"Oh yeah, I can do that. Definitely." Especially now that he's got all the fruit separated in his head and realizes better how to grow and change plants. Means he can do all that shit on purpose instead of accidentally.

He just needs to work on growing in bursts.

Luckily Yondu doesn't know all that much about myths, so he doesn't ask about any embarrassing implications. "But still with the big juicy seeds on the inside with the rind still its own thing? Or just seed flavored all the way through?"

Thanatos wouldn't know about any myths about pomegranates either. He just knows that Zagreus eats them and uses them to strengthen his abilities.

"Still with the seeds and with the rind it's own thing, just... edible." The other option reminds him of the pumpkin cake the Red Team got as a "reward." It looked like one thing and tasted like another. "And if it could still look like a pomegranate... I don't know how that works."

Embarrassment is clearly on Thanatos's cheeks, flushing a little golden as he stumbles over his odd request.

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The Waking of Neran

Second Night

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