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]

Mm.

[ This makes sense to Wormmon. ] I don't think I went to an Underworld. I came back for Ken-chan.

[ Ken smiles involuntarily at that, then turns thoughtful. Thanatos is real (and owns a squeaky mouse named Mort)...which means all the other mythological names he's mentioned.... ]

So the connection between our world's myths and other worlds might be true.

[controlsthedie]

I'm glad you were able to reunite with your friend. It usually doesn't go that well.

A lot of worlds are connected by this train. Persephone is on this train, the Goddess of Spring, but she is not the same Persephone I once knew.

[ It took a lot to get used to, but she is now a good friend. ]

[ourtomorrow]

There may be an infinite number of worlds.

[ Or at the very least, an uncountable amount. Multiple variations of world myths....Nearly-parallel worlds? And brushes with them gave rise to the legends Ken's world knows?

He can't be sure. He's speculating with too little evidence. ]

In any case, our worlds crossed here. That much we know.

[controlsthedie]

[ Somehow, Thanatos hasn't really thought of scrolling through the passenger list and compare names and appearance. He probably should at some point. ]

There are even people from the same world who arrive from different points of time. That's the case with me and my friend. He's from my future.

[ourtomorrow]

So we should assume anything is possible.

Is Mort from the future?

[ Sorry to interrupt. Wormmon is very curious about who this friend is.

After all, if it's the friend they've met, a FUTUREMOUSE is a very impressive concept. ]

FUTUREMOUSE ❤

[controlsthedie]

Ah, no. At least... I don't think he is.

[ Thanatos looks at the mouse on his shoulder. Mort hasn't said anything as much to him, but he can't deny that it might be possible. Although, how would he be able to tell when they've been separated for so long before the train? ]

Zagreus is another passenger on the train. He arrived the platform after I did, but to answer your question, that would be a safe assumption.

he speaks the gift of PROPHESQUEAK

[ourtomorrow]

Zagreus....

[ They haven't met him. The name rings a fainter bell than "Thanatos", but they've just confirmed going by prior knowledge is of minimal help. ]

Someone from a world related to mine is here, too. Matsuda Takato-kun, and Guilmon.

He sees far and wide, nibbling on the Fates' threads

[controlsthedie]

[ Zagreus is a mystery to many, but that is likely to change. He likes making friends. ]

Related to yours... but somehow not the same. How so? If that's okay to ask?

he always KNOWS where you MOVED HIS CHEESE

[ourtomorrow]

[ Ken picks up Wormmon - good job with the dustpan, buddy. ] Digimon partner with humans in many worlds. But the nature of that partnership, and of their powers, differs.

[ He thinks back, in perfect sincerity, to the......silly crossover event that couldn't even be bothered to draw him on-model, but he was there, and isn't that what matters? ]

We've united against an enemy once before.

[ ichijouji ken, experienced multidimensional traveler, 12 years old ]

Please do not touch the cheese

[controlsthedie]

[ Wormmon did a great job. This car is now looking much cleaner than before. ]

I think I understand. It sounds similar to what I know of my situation with Persephone's world.

[ Okay, the uniting against an enemy has only happened since arriving on the train, but the idea is still there. ]

[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. ]