voidtreckerexpress

Who: Taiki and Open
Where: All through the train- garden, games, kitchen and standard have prompts but feel free to catch him anywhere.
When: Month Domino, Day 23
What: Taiki is finally well enough to get out of bed and start exploring this strange train he boarded a week ago.
Warnings:

The last week has been one of fever and sickness. Dreams of blood and death, mixed with other strange dreams that seemed to have been shared with those who travelled with him on this train.

But the fever had broken and the last couple of days he had been doing better. Able to sit up and move around his cabin. He felt bad for having caused both lord Gyousou and Wen Qing trouble, when they both should have been focused on resting and healing themselves.

Now he was a bit better he was feeling very confined. Apart from the walk from the platform to this cabin he had not seen the rest of the train where he now lived. So though he was still shakey on his feet he got dressed in the trousers and hoodie that had been in his bag and left the cabin quietly, holding onto the wall for support.

Garden

He instantly liked this place. There were no flowers, though there were a couple of suitcase-turned-plantpots that looked like things might grow eventually. It was peaceful though, even if the light from the void was strange.

He sat down on a bench, tired already despite only walking two carriages. He was better than he had been though, better than he should be, considering what he had done. He stared into the water and then closed his eyes, trying to take in the peace of this place.

Games

The next carriage along had board games and he paused to read a few of the titles. He hadn't ever really played any board games, though he had seen them being played before. He recognised a couple. He smiled at anyone he saw, not approaching but trying to be friendly. He knew enough to know that most the people here had had as little choice about being here than he had. He was still suspicious of this whole place, but so far people had not been cruel.

Kitchen

Carriage by carriage he walked on shaking legs, stopping now and then and siting down to rest. It was a long journey from one end of the train to the other and there was a lot to take in. Some of the places he half remembered from dreams, other peoples dreams. Strange to be stood in those places now.

He entered the kitchens and all at once stopped, recoiling slightly. Something was wrong. He felt ill, more ill. Blood, maybe just raw meat. He's never really noticed if that has any effect on him, his Taika shell protected his body from the worst of blood sickness on earth and in Tai he had never even been in the kitchens.

Still it was an altogether unpleasant feeling and he quickly left, gripping to the wall for support.

Standard Coach

He got through the first carriage but by the time he got back to the standard coach he had to sit down. He saw the bookshelf and forced himself to stay standing while he grabbed a book and sat at the nearest table.

It would give him an excuse to sit a while. People here might be as trapped as he and Lord Gyousou were but it didn't mean they could trust them. He stared at the book, only half reading it and then looked out into the void. What was it? How were they here? What had become of Tai?

None of those were questions he had answers to.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's good to know that Inigo won't mind Taiki's help. That Taiki isn't going to be an annoyance if he tries to help him out. Even if he whatever he tries doesn't work so well.

He is a bit surprised to hear that Inigo has total faith in him. He barely knows him. And even in the dream. Taiki had let him down, he hadn't been able to stop the Youma. He had known it was unlikely that he could bind one. He could feel the ouki now, sense his king, but that didn't mean he was whole once more. But it had meant putting Inigo in more danger, since he hadn't ran.

He blinked at the request, not even sure what to take from that. But Inigo was so nice, if all he wanted was a smile then Taiki could do that. Nervously he smiled, it felt like a long time since he had last done so. But he found even just the motion lifted his spirits a little.

He honestly isn't too sure how Taiki will react. Or if he'll even try to fulfull the request at all. It has nothing to do with Inigo doubting Taiki as much as it's just the fact that he's said the same thing to so many people, only to get brushed off.. Despite his outward optimism, it's really hard to believe some people might actually listen to it.

So he's only more surprised when Taiki actually smiles. Sure, it's a little nervously, but that's definitely a smile. If anything, the edge of nerves just makes it even cuter. Something about just seeing it alone already feels precious. Like a rare opportunity.

".. I was right." Inigo smiles too, but a little softer now. "You really have the cutest smile. Don't hide it from the world so much."

Taiki blushed slightly but kept smiling for a moment before it faded. He would try though, to smile more for Inigo, if it was something that would make him happy. It was a small thing after all so Taiki wouldn't deny him it.

He's not sure what to say though, he's really not that used to conversation. He's definitely not used to compliments. "Um... Thank you." He whispered, "You have a nice smile too."

"Well, of course I do!"

That makes the smile go right back to big and bombastic again..

"I mean, it's evident the moment you see this amazing smile, isn't it? All the ladies in the whole country back home swooned at the very sight of it!" He only wishes, but somehow he manages to say it confidently anyway. "Anywhere you'd go, you would hear people talk about the great Inigo the Invicible's smile! Although it seems it has yet to catch on here on the train."

That makes him smile again, it is short lived but amused. Inigo has a lot of confidence, it is a little overwhelming. More so that someone with such confidence would be spending the time talking to him. But Taiki was glad he was, Inigo seemed like a nice person, gentle despite his brightness.

"Um... Maybe it will. Eventually. How long have you been here?"

"Me?" He sucks in a breath and then lets it out again with a small noise, like it takes a lot of effort to think about that. With everything that goes on in this place, it kind of feels longer than it's probably been..

"Two months, I think? Maybe a little less than that. Although putting it that way, it really does seem like a miracle that not a single lady here has fallen for me yet. They must be too intimidated.."

Almost no one is intimidated by you, Inigo. You're only overwhelming poor Taiki!

"Perhaps..." Inigo was quite intimidating. At least to Taiki. He imagined he must be to some others as well.

"Two months is a long time..."

A very long time to be stuck here. Anything could happen back in Tai in that time.

At least there's one thing to be said for Inigo. For as vain as he can seem sometimes - as vain as his act can get, more like - he can be really attentive to others when he tries.

So he does notice that Taiki probably doesn't just seem to be thinking about Inigo when he speaks those latter words.

".. Are you worried?"

Taiki seems like it, but Inigo can't be sure. Taiki always seems kind of worried, after all.

"Yes." He nodded, looking up at Inigo. "I'm very worried."

What would happen? If Taiki and Lord Gyousou had just randomly disappeared from under Asen's nose then Asen would be furious. There had been so many people in the palace, what would happen to them? What about Yari? Risai?

Just thinking about it makes him want to cry. But he won't. Because tears don't help. They won't help find a way back.

So he was right on the mark. And really, who could blame Taiki for worrying? Inigo doesn't think the stakes for him missing from his world are all that high - his friend would worry, probably, which would suck, but he's sure that he's not exactly the most vital link in saving the world. They'll manage without him.

Maybe Taiki's circumstances are much more dire though, judging by that dream.

But while Inigo can't be sure if they'll ever find a way back home, let alone finding one soon, but there's no way he would ever spread negativity to others. He just smiles at Taiki in a way he hopes is encouraging.

"We'll find a way back. I'll make this train ride straight to where you come from myself if I have to!" You and what army, Inigo... "I know it's hard to not worry if you're worried, but believe me, everything will turn out alright somehow."

Taiki looked up at him, eyes filling with tears before he blinked them away quickly, embarrassed. Inigo probably thinks him an idiot already, they might have just met but Inigo has been nicer to him than... almost anybody in as long as he can remember and he deserves better than Taiki's tears.

He's not so naive to believe that Inigo can honestly make the train ride back to Tai, or even that everything would turn out alright. But something in Inigo's nature lifted his spirits. It's been a long time since anyone had told him things would turn out alright.

He nodded, not quite able to speak.

It's hard to tell whether or not he notices those tears before they're already gone. If Inigo did notice, he sure doesn't mention anything about it. Instead he just smiles at Taiki, knowing the other understood despite the lack of a verbal reply.

It's probably for the better to not linger on the topic for too long before he actually makes the other cry though, so..

"Come on, let's go find some place to hang out that's not anywhere near the kitchen, alright?"

"Alright." He nodded, grateful for the shift in coversation, so he doesn't cry in front of Inigo. And for going further away from the kitchen. He's not feeling as ill now but still, more distance is better.

"Thank you, Inigo."

Exploring

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does this sound like a good place to wrap this one?

yep!