voidtreckerexpress | Spring Garden Preparations

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Spring Garden Preparations

Who: Elidibus, OTA
Where: Various, Rock Garden for landscape setup.
When: Evening, Quicksand 13 to Quicksand 15
What: Events leading to the Spring Garden Days Quicksand 16 (Platform Day) to Quicksand 18
Warnings: There's no particular warnings other than the possibility of individual character spoilers.

[An announcement over the intercoms goes throughout the train on the evening of Quicksand 13, after everyone's settled post-mission.]

Good day, this is Elidibus. Some of you may recall the brief transformation of the rock garden into a winter day several platforms ago. This coming platform I'm looking to arrange for a spring season change to the same carriage. Last time was a little spontaneous and short notice. This time I would like to ask for help.

One of the major changes is this will last for three days, including the Platform Day. During that time, those willing to help maintain the spring garden will be welcome. Whether by manual labor, organization, a special talent or other contributions. [After all the carriage is only so large and traffic may be regular.] Like last time, the climate, weather and soil will be present, but I'd like to ask some of those talented with the fast growth of plants and trees to lend assistance. Anyone familiar with planning the layout of a seasonal garden in a relatively small space would also be appreciated.

Those who might be interested in preparing food fit for picnic meals, I would like to ask for your help. Though I have a general concept for this seasonal garden event, I would ask you to bring any ideas you have to me. What I've observed on my star may differ from others and anyone should feel welcome to add their ideas. I may also approach some of you but there is no obligation to agree to my requests.

[This is announced over the intercoms. But there will also be signs posted near the public ICPs in each carriage or in a proper obvious place with this message printed on it.

Questions and the OOC prep links!]

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"Is that so?" It was with that that Genjo Sanzo comfortably took a seat beside Elidibus upon the bench. Sighing as he could not help but feel the subtle longing for a cigarette that often came naturally with sitting within a garden.

Damn withdrawals were going to be a bitch.

"So you're certain that with the progress of those who've been here so far that leaving is a fully attainable possibility," Well. He can't really argue much against someone who seemed so assured. After all, Genjo Sanzo was still new to the Voidtrecker, he only had the tales, experiences, and stories of those he ran into so far to go off of. And up until this point, before he spoke to Eldibus, all of those experiences felt uncertain. Perhaps Eldibus had experienced things that those he had connected with so far have yet to realize? "Hmn, if that's the case, I'm curious to see what comes of it. And what may happen to those of us stuck on the train in the mean time."

There was no point in making an argument out of it after all. Genjo had just as much belief that they may be able to leave as he had considered that they just may be stuck there. Truthfully, he was surprisingly indifferent on the matter.

Or perhaps it was that he just didn't wish to consider the implications too much?

"Do you mind telling me how long you've been stuck here personally?"

"It's possible, yes." Whether all the potential will be used to its fullest and in concert while it's available? Those are other matters and ones Sanzo didn't ask Elidibus to weigh in on. But the simple fact remains; finding a solution for those who want to return to their worlds free of the train's tethers is not an unrealistic possibility.

Besides, there are other, more troubling concerns related to this whole process if one were to be honest about it. Such as whether those with corporeal bodies will have them on returning. There's several on the train who would find their life's end waiting for them because of that simple 'problem'. Some who can't return because unlike Elidibus, their very existence is because the train's tether is holding them together in the first place. Ah, but these are matters that aren't really part of this conversation.

After a pause to think, the Ascian gives Sanzo an answer. "A little over four moons by the train's calendar. I arrived in the second half of Llama." Which.... makes no sense but fortunately there are probably archives somewhere of the months. Or be around long enough to understand there's an alphabetized system to the name scheme!

"Llama. Really?" Sanzo could not help but seem in a little bit of disbelief with that way of wording. Whether or not it made sense within an alphabetized monthly format, it was a bit of a strange word to choose. "... Are llama's important to void travelers for some reason?"

A bit more of a lighthearted question, yes. But perhaps lighthearted was something both Elidibus and Sanzo needed after such a heavy and dower start to their meeting.

Edited 2022-07-22 06:20 (UTC)

"You'll have to speak to the Voidtrecker Express on that matter," Elidibus answers. Whether he knows (or knew when he arrived) what a llama actually is in the first place... well there's no reason for him to confirm or deny that.

"It's only recently we've been in wider contact with resources other than what the train chose for us. Or that it has been greatly forthcoming. It seems to be rectifying the matter, albeit haphazardly."

Sorry, Sanzo. Elidibus has a tendency to not engage in lightheartedness. Though he does appear to recognize it.

"Though I wonder if the answer to that question holds as much interest to you." It was a very blatant divergence from the weight of their prior line of conversation. The Ascian studies the monk before beginning to rise.

"I should return to my duties, unless you have any further questions you'd like to ask about our earlier conversation?" He'll politely wait for that at least.

Well, he could say he at least attempted to ease matters slightly. But it was pretty apparent Eldibus wished to keep their conversation on more existential issues. A soft sigh left him as he relaxed his shoulders. His expression mellowed as he watched Elidibus rise from his seat beside Sanzo.

"You're the first one I've spoken to who seems so certain in the possibility of severing the Voidtreckers tether on us. Before you leave for your work, I wish to know, what have you experienced during your time here to make you keep such an optimistic thought? Is it due to someone else who made you think such? Or was it something you experienced yourself?"

Elidibus pauses. It's a reasonable question to ask, so an answer is deliberated. He turns around briefly, focusing his gaze down on the still-seated monk.

"My own experience. I won't speak for others, but I have personally executed acts both terrible and wonderous. Bound to a train made by the hands of mankind, even if they are one on par with my people or greater, seems a far less burdensome puzzle by far for many of the events in my life."

And.... the Voidtrecker Express is especially further by far than the most terrible thing to have happened to Elidibus. This is nothing compared to the worst.

"Understand I don't intend to dismiss your view of the matter or those of others. But that is why I can stay, as you call it, optimistic."

Edited 2022-07-29 02:01 (UTC)

"So you base it around experience as well as the weight of things you have seen over time," It was a surprisingly grounded and realistic response. And truthfully, although Sanzo did not have the years to back up a shared experience, he understood it to a degree. Indeed there were much worse situations they could have all ended up in than attached to an interdimensional train that traveled from world to world on various short adventures. "I suppose if you've solved harder problems, it would make sense that a situation such as this isn't too stressful."

Which begged to question--

"I take it you have things to do back in your homeworld that make this a problem that needs solving."

As opposed to those who would much rather stay for some reason or another.

A simple nod is given at first. Though the query Sanzo then asks seems to take away the... ease, if one could call it. It's not anger or despair. But a single, sobering change of Elidibus's presence seems to bring the burden of ages momentarily to their tiny corner of the garden.

The burden Sanzo queried after, that he should wish to return home to, was not so easy set down. In addition to that, the small changes he'd been making to the flow of the garden's energies may, if only for a moment, waver. Everything swiftly stabilizes again, even though Elidibus doesn't look away.

"...When we were given an opportunity to try and return to our respective homes, we were unable to move far from the place we had been first summoned. I could not leave to fix events which unfolded in my absence and that threatened the fate of my star. Thus, I resolved to hand over its fate... and future."

There is probably more to the tale. But will Sanzo actually press for it? It seems it would be a dangerous road to tread.

Odd. It couldn't have been just himself who noticed, could it? The overall aura of the train cart around them seemed to shift and fade into something negative. And with the sudden change in Elidibus's demeanor, there was no way he was the cause, was he?

"I see, so when you went back to your world, time had passed without you," He had heard briefly about the return to each Tethered's worlds. His old master had at least shared that much with him. He heard tales of how the older priest had returned to Shangri-La at a time much further in the future, how he then proceeded to confront Ukoku Sanzo himself. "But that was only a 'version' of your world if my master had told me correctly. That there are many variations of not only our worlds going through different timelines and situations, but there could even be different versions of ourselves."

He had learned that first hand. He had heard of the first Genjo Sanzo that those on this train had first encountered.

Just for a short while. It would be something that others may have picked up but it lasts very fleeting and Elidibus has the awareness to steel his control and focus once more. The matter seems handled and the garden's energy flow returns to normal. As normal as anything can be on the Voidtrecker Express anyway.

"So it seems. Though for me, it was fleeting." Not because of his immortality, this time. "...Compared to the time I've spent on the Voidtrecker Express. I am used to experiencing the uneven flow of time. There were others who seemed to find their worlds aligned consistent to the time they've experienced on this journey."

Which seems to mean nothing to Elidibus when it comes down to it; with infinite possibilities comes very little confirmation from patterns after all.

"As to differing realities and time, you have been informed correctly. Even now three different people bearing the same essence of one of my enemies are on this train. Not one of them possesses even the corporeal form of the person I know."

Timelines and realities. Well the former is within Elidibus's experience. The latter, the concept of voidspace seems to have layered on top of it. There is a moment when the Ascian seems to pause and mull over what the monk has said before next responding.

"Perhaps there is some small comfort in knowing somewhere, I succeeded, my brethren and people returned to me and my star made whole. Or that the world need not have been saved at all. But while I might take advantage of knowledge I can gain from the possibilities, I would not knowingly forsake my own version of reality and travel to another. For better or worse, my only world is the one I come from, its past and its future and the changes wrought to both. I will leave the decisions on what to do with the knowledge I can give or aid I would offer to those that come from that reality."

He looks at Sanzo again.

"How you come to view the others you encounter here, whether from other worlds entirely or the reflection of your reality is your choice. But it is one worth taking time to think over."

It was a complicated experience to face. The concept of not only an infinite number of universes, but an unknown number that could be so very similar to his own that only skew in ways to make situations different enough. It made his mind race. Were he and his master even from the same universe? He remembered the words of someone he met here on the Voidtrecker, someone who had met the 'other Genjo' before him.

'Youse be being the same but different.'

The thought unsettled him.

But this was nothing that needed to be pushed upon a complete stranger that he met while setting up a garden. Instead politely nodding his head in response to the words of advice.

"I appreciate the warning," with that he looked up, violet eyes meeting the gaze of the mysterious man. "And I will do my best to keep your words in mind as we continue this journey."

"You're welcome," Elidibus answers graciously. He hears the monk out and also nods. There is neither approval or satisfaction in his manner. Nor does he appear grateful to have Sanzo take his words seriously.

There is only a small matter of further advice.

"In the end, they are words. What you choose to do, how to feel about your circumstances will remain ultimately a path you must decide for yourself, regardless. I hope you will find the path which leads you best."

This time Elidibus will leave, that as his parting farewell.

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Spring Garden Preparations

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Oh noes, backdated math!

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