Seasons don't fear the reaper

[controlsthedie]

Who: Thanatos & OTA
Where: sleeper/passenger car hallways, greenhouse, training gym
When: Kazoo, Day 2 or 3 (after Jack's "Musical" Mayhem, before dance)
What: Death is being a dork: chores, flower growing, sword practice
Warnings: none

Chores: Death approaches the dust

[ A new month means a new type of chore assignment, apparently. At least this one doesn't need someone coaching Thanatos on what to do. He takes to the passenger area first, dressed in the train's standard blue hoodie and cargo pants to keep his own stuff clean. (Zagreus wanted to wear red not blue, so Thanatos just gave him the spare red hoodie he had.) Floating towards the ceiling with a feather duster in his hand, Thanatos gets to work.

Thanatos may not have paid much attention to Dusa while she worked (or at all really...), but he knows that she was always up high dusting the rafters. Sorry if he startles anyone going through a door to see legs dangling down. He's dusting the top of the door frame. ]

Greenhouse: Thanatos's Poppy Pot has sprouted!

[ Done with chores for the time being, Thanatos has returned to his usual way of dressing (chthonic death god style) and is crouched low to the floor. Mort is perched at the edge of a pot. They stare at nine tiny points of green pushing out of the soil. Thanatos is smiling, awestruck. (An expression that wasn't as rare when he was a godling days ago.) ]

They sprouted… they actually sprouted....

[ Thanatos speaks softly as if he fears being too loud would bring destruction upon them. Green. Growth. Life. He thought they would never sprout. They would never grow. Yet, here they were. Poppies, his and Hypnos's shared symbol, growing in this pot. Nurtured by Death of all people. ]

What do you think, Mort? Do they need more water?

Training gym: Trying not to float like a butterfly

[ There should be a mission coming up soon, and Thanatos is determined not to have a repeat of the last time. He had lost his powers, his divinity, and had become useless. He would have been a liability if other passengers hadn't come to his aid.

Gods, if Thanatos froze like that while Zagreus needed his help.... No. That's not going to happen. He's going to make sure that he can still fight, still protect… well, more than just Zagreus. It's still strange to think that he's developing a new role for himself on this train.

He summons his sword, not his scythe, and sets his feet upon the ground. Thanatos starts with a few basic motions when he notices he has company. ]

Pardon me. I'm not taking too much space, am I?

Comments

[ourtomorrow]

Teamwork is nice, huh.

[ Wormmon smiles. Ken carefully removes Wormmon's dust covering to better reveal the buggy equivalent of a grin. ]

Mm.

[controlsthedie]

Thank you for the help. If you need anything, I'm in Cabin 4A, although I'm probably more likely to be in the quiet car.

[ Thanatos doesn't have a problem with his roommates. It's more than he needs a break from how active the train is when he's more used to the Underworld. ]

[ourtomorrow]

[ What a considerate god. In some ways, that's reassuring. Ken likes the idea of a Death that isn't here to be harsh. A Death that looks after others.

If someone like Thanatos were in his world, would it have eased things for his family, after his brother...?

But then he gets surprised and it throws him for enough of a loop that what he's thinking falls out of his mouth. ]

...Ah, we're 4B....

[controlsthedie]

[ Thanatos might have a grim reputation, but part of that is PR imagery after what happened with Sisyphus. Death Incarnate is otherwise quiet peaceful, gentle. ]

You share a room with Ryo then. He's directly on the other side of the wall from my bunk.

[ Poor Ryo has to deal with his Sense getting blown out every night. ]

He's very kind and helpful. You have a good cabinmate.

[ourtomorrow]

.....I see.

[ This is the part where Ken doesn't want to admit he hasn't really spoken to his cabinmates yet. He keeps going to bed earlier than they do. And telling himself it's to be prepared.

But it's not, is it? It's because he doesn't know what to say.

Because he's rejecting others out of a fear of being rejected. ]

[controlsthedie]

[ Ken will find himself in good company. Ryo has similar fears. Although, Thanatos is now stuck with an awkward situation. He had thought saying that about Ryo would be helpful, but apparently it is not... (Nngh, why are conversations so hard?)

Thanatos doesn't know what to say until Mort squeaks in his ear. Oh, that's probably good to mention. ]

Ah, he's also a healer, so if you or someone else is injured, he can help.

[ourtomorrow]

Like a doctor?

[ Wormmon knows someone who is studying to be a doctor! But Ken-chan is...shaking his head? ]

He could be. But a "healer" is often a human who fixes wounds with magic.

[ In books. But he's throwing himself into this explanation to avoid copping to just sinking into a very awkward pause when Death Himself is being nice enough to hold a friendly conversation, so all things considered, Ken feels okay with his theory.

Wormmon thinks about this. His eyes get wide. He looks up at Thanatos, and asks the god: ]

Humans can be magic?????

[controlsthedie]

They can be, especially if they have a divine parent. Sometimes, it's through a god's boon or favor. Other times, it's part of who they are. Ryo seems to be trained both in a medicinal and magical sense.

[ So... both answers are correct! ]

[ourtomorrow]

[ Wormmon looks to Ken-chan, needing help with some of the big words. Ken is happy to assist. ]

We have a helpful roommate.

Oh. [ Wormmon smiles. Or, well, it's probably a smile. Mouth is on sideways. ] That's great!

[controlsthedie]

[ The smile can probably be seen in Wormmon's eyes. ]

You do. He's... He's a good friend.

[ And Thanatos means it. ]

[ourtomorrow]

[ Ken grins too, reassured. Maybe...maybe talking to his roommates will go okay. He'll try, when next he sees Ryo. Yes. He'll do his best. ]

I want Ken-chan to make lots of friends. [ Wormmon waddles forward. ] Will you be one of them?

[controlsthedie]

[ Once more Thanatos notices that friends just happens to him. The train is so strange compared to what he's used to at home. ]

If you and Ken have no issue with being friends with Death Incarnate, then I can be.

[ourtomorrow]

[ What is Death Incarnate compared to the terrible things that Ken has done. The hubris that'd made him lash out, the fool he'd been....

This is not the time for that thinking. Ken smiles. ] I'm glad to.

[controlsthedie]

[ Thanatos is just used to being feared and hated. A month on the train will not erase his expectation of people reacting as such. (It keeps him from being disappointed if he happens to be right.) ]

Then yes, you can consider me among your friends on the train.

[ourtomorrow]

Hooray!!

[ Wormmon bounds for Thanatos's legs. If not stopped, or avoided, he plans to Nuzzle.

He plans to Nuzzle so much. This tall man looked like he needed a friend, and so does Ken-chan. Wormmon feels he has done good work today. ]

Wormmon is so good ;~;

[controlsthedie]

[ He doesn't move away, but Thanatos looks down surprised at the instant affection gained from Wormmon. Thanatos looks at Ken as if to silently ask if this is normal for his friend to do.

He doesn't mind it, but he's very confused. ]

everyone needs a wormmon. just following quietly behind and Believing.

[ourtomorrow]

[ Ken is a little startled too - but after a second, his mouth closes, he smiles, and he nods at Thanatos. It's okay. Wormmon is affectionate.

Wormmon being affectionate to people other than him is a sign he's gotten braver, too, so Ken's quite proud of his bug. ]

We must kickstart this idea

[controlsthedie]

[ Well, if Ken's not alarmed, then Thanatos will let Wormmon get those nuzzles in. He'll gather up the cleaning supplies once Wormmon seems to have gotten his fill. ]

I should return these cleaning tools to the proper location. Thank you again for the help.

[ Given that they're neighbors, no doubt they'll pass by each other a lot. ]

i'll fund it

[ourtomorrow]

You too....Thanks for letting us.

Nice to meet you.

[ Wormmon has backed off politely, because he is a cuddlebug with good manners. ]

Tentomon can be a stretch goal for more buggy goodness

[controlsthedie]

[ Thanatos hasn't really figured it out, but he's a bit of a cuddlebug too. He just hasn't had the chance to realize it.

With a nod of his head, Thanatos shifts back to where he originally found the cleaning supplies to put them away. ]

damn straight

[ourtomorrow]

[ Today Ken has learned: Death is thoughtful and considerate. It might not be his world's Death, but in its own way, that's comforting.

He's smiling as he and Wormmon return to their own duties. ]