Event: Abort! Part Two (day 25, Egret). Luggage carriage

[voidtreckermods]

They are on world world#27462947582 for about five hours, helping, ushering people out of the city, fighting monsters, keeping guard. All seems well in the city itself, peaceful even except for the slight panic of people being told to move south.

Wherever they are, north in the desert, travelling through the countryside to the south or still in the city itself they will notice from their peripheral vision a darkening of the sky. Looking up they will see clouds. Strange clouds, appearing in the blue sky out of nowhere.

Their SCA’s start beeping, rapidly, flashing red. The clouds are too weird to be clouds, dark shapes in the sky. It might be that the Voidtreckers heed the warning and tap their SCA to evacuate to the train. It might be that they do not.

If they don’t then there is a moment, a moment of absolute stillness as those around them notice the shapes. A confused pause. Children stop their chatter, people stop their complaining, even the monsters seem to sense something and pause in their attacks.

The remaining voidtreckers are yanked away, even without pressing their SCA, they glow gold and disappear.

They all appear in the luggage carriage and not even a second later, with no warning the train lurches, flinging everyone off their feet as it enters the void.

It’s not really easy to tell speed in the void, but they will get the sense that they are moving fast. Faster than before, leaving that world and whatever those shapes were behind.

(OOC: Information on this event is here and part one is here)

Comments

Duo Maxwell | Getting Outta Dodge

[maxwellsdaemon]

Duo was halfway to ending the suffering of a particularly nasty boar-creature when all hell broke loose.

His SCA started to beep and flash and that brought Duo's notice away from what he was doing and more toward his surroundings. And he realised the sky was darkening. He looked up. The clouds...

A memory of a conversation recently had caused very little hesitation in Duo. He slapped the SCA without a second thought and with a lurch that made his stomach feel very odd, he was back on the Voidtrecker.

"Damn... Damn..." More people popped up around him and Duo stepped back to allow for room, muttering the same word over and over until the train tried to murder him by suddenly jerking and throwing him into a wall.

Re: Duo Maxwell | Getting Outta Dodge

[najaran]

Najaran had a card in her hand, over her head, about to summon when she was thrown back into the train. She stumbled and fell into Duo with a startled cry.

[najaran]

Najaran had brought her creatures back into their cards for a break just before the alarm went. She didn't know what it was so had focused on the shapes in the sky.

"What in the world...?" She lifted a card, intending to re-summon Thunderbeak so she could go check it out. Suddenly she was surrounded by.... luggage...? "What...?" She put down her hand and looked at her card. "No way we did that...." she muttered. She looked down, but she was still in the clothes she had chosen.

Anyone close enough to see it would notice that she put her hand behind herself and the card she had been holding sucked itself into the pouch on her belt, which opened enough for the card to slide in, then closed back up.

She shook her head and rolled her shoulders, trying to figure out how to stand with the train moving so quickly. "Anyone know how we get back out there? Those people still need our help!"

[themasterthief]

"We don't. And we probably don't want to either. Nothing good would come from sticking around after that."

The voice came from, well, above. Garrett was clinging to the ceiling like the arachnid that he resembled. It was more comfortable up there than down with the crammed crowd.

[sell_tickets]

Okay. That.... That should not have happened. Thankfully Khary was using Sapphire shields not the Ebony ones in his ring of honor or he would have killed a lot of people just by being too close to them. But with his shields nothing should have been able to get to him. And traveling didn't work this way anyway.

"Mother Night, what the ***** just happened?" he asked, and at the moment he was shaken enough that he actually... wasn't smiling...

[myblueskies]

Khary will feel a scrabbling at his boots, it is a small, white weasel. He will also feel a lot more hopeful, a lifting of his spirits.

The weasel seems a little agitated. He would very much like to know what just happened as well! They need to get back and help!

Open

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel's amulet flashed, in his peripheral vision.

For that one moment it was Gondolin all over again, with the forces of the Dark Lord coming in, bringing darkness with them, the shapes not dissimilar to the Balrogs that had decimated his city.

Then, between one moment and the next, he was back on the train, crowded together with the others from the train and many pieces of luggage. When the train started suddenly moving, without the usual announcement, he staggered back, but the press of bodies was too great for him to actually fall.

His breath was still coming fast, as the memories of Gondolin came back so fresh, and the memory of the dream the night before as well. His hand was clenched tight around the hilt of the sword he was still wearing.

As he tries to calm himself, he starts to glow, and those nearest him will also begin to feel a bit calmer. Any close by that can read minds, however, are going to know he is fighting terror and only the fact he is glowing is helping him gain control over it.

[myblueskies]

More calm, of a hopeful sort, comes from a small weasel that appears at his feet. Romeo can't read minds but he can tell when someone looks sad. The glowing is unusual, but not all that much so. There's lots of different types of people here after all.

What ever just happened, it had been very scary and Romeo recognised Glorfindel, he looked scared and Romeo wanted to help. He nuzzled at his foot.

OTA | CW: light arachne descriptions

[themasterthief]

That was nothing good. Garrett was just stepping back out onto the streets from pilfering a small, lonesome place already evacuated when the SCA started beeping. He felt the darkness spread over him and looked up. That was a giant nope for him. Nothing good ever came from things like that. He hit the button on the SCA almost immediately after he looked up and saw the darkness coming.

That landed him in the luggage carriage which was fine with him. He rolled out his agitated muscles from the mere stress of looking at that oncoming disaster and tried to relax again. He had a few trinkets from the world to go over now that he was back on the train. Five hours wasn't a lot of time but it was enough for someone like him to get started.

Then everyone else started popping back onto the train and Garrett came to the sudden realization that they were all going to end up in the luggage carriage. Shit!

The arachne leapt into the air and grabbed hold of the ceiling with all his limbs. Being that close to so many people was way out of his comfort zone. He clung to the ceiling for dear life, flattening himself out on it as much as possible. Well, this sucked. And now he had to wait for everyone to tramp back through the dressing carriage before he would have a nice, safe, and quiet place to settle down and go through his new trinkets.

Gladio | Last Man Standing

[callmegladio]

Since Gladio had been on the hill watching the clouds, he'd been able to watch it all play out. Part of him had realised that this was all too good to be true. That he wouldn't be allowed to enjoy this. Of course not, that would be too simple.

So he watched. He watched as the clouds he had been observing changed. Distantly he could hear beeping, but his focus was on the sky. On the approaching darkness. The clouds... were not clouds. Gladio had no idea what they were, but he knew enough to know screaming danger when he saw it.

Slowly he moved to his feet, rising to stand, as if the extra height would offer him a better view.

But it was as he was standing that the strangest of things happened. Stranger than the clouds.

Silence.

It was as if he had suddenly gone deaf. Even the wind seemed to have stopped, breath held, waiting for what was about to happen. Gladio held his own breath, eyes still on the sky...

... Only he would never know.

Before the calm was broken, Gladio found himself on his knees back on the train, a sick feeling in his stomach and an ache in his chest. He immediately pushed himself up and away to get through the crowds of people and the hell out of the luggage carriage.

[longforgottenpromise]

In his path to the door there was a young man, his eyes are distant, as if he is in shock. He is in shock. One moment he was travelling away from the city with those they had convinced to evacuate and the next there had been those shapes, the eerie silence and then they had been pulled back to the train.

It doesn't take much imagination to think about what might be happening there. They need to get back.

He has no way of doing that, if he had a horn, if he was any use at all he might have a chance. But he didn't. He was useless, as helpless to help those of that world as he had been to help those of Tai. He barely seemed to notice the large man coming straight towards him.

[myblueskies]

Romeo had been helping keep up the spirits of some of those leaving the city. Curling up on frightened children's heads and moving around people who seemed upset or worried, taking advantage of his shinki power. He might be a very small weasel right now but he could make people feel better.

Because he was in shinki form he could see everywhere around him all at once and so he spotted the shapes quickly.

"Elfnein? Do you see those shapes? What are they?" He scans the crowds for her or for Joss. For anyone from the train. There was lots of beeping, for a moment that was the only sound as everything went quiet.

Then he was in the luggage carriage. Back on the train and they were moving.

There is a weasel running around, trying not to get stepped on. When he gets close to anyone they will feel hopeful, their fear will lessen somewhat and they will feel more at peace, more able to face whatever it is that is happening right now.

If they happen to be friends with Romeo they might find said weasel scrabbling up their leg.

doot deet doot this guy does not belong here (but I couldn't resist) >.>;

[rieper]

47 felt something brush up against his leg as he was carefully making his way through the crowded carriage towards the exit. It wasn't an accidental kick or brush of a foot as the crammed people shuffled awkwardly around, he could tell the difference. Which meant the hitman was curious about it and he looked down to figure it out.

He caught the movement of the weasel just before it disappeared further into the crowd. But now he was aware of it and keeping up with it was easy for someone like him who was used to keeping an eye on multiple targets while in a crowd.

A moment later he scooped up the weasel in his hands. He held it out at eye level for a moment as he examined it carefully. It looked fine. "What are you doing here," he mused aloud as he shifted it towards his chest, holding it with a surprising amount of gentle care. He wondered who had brought a weasel on board for a pet as he headed for the exit once more.

47 | OTA

[rieper]

47 was busy hacking the nearest boar-like creature when the darkness began to creep upon the sunlit sky. Taking advantage of the creature's distraction, 47 chopped its head off in one smooth swing of his sword. With his immediate foe down, the assassin took a moment to assess the situation. It didn't look like a normal storm approaching. While that was worrisome there was also not much the assassin could do for it since there was no shelter nearby. Besides, there were a few more boars left in this pack and 47 saw an opportunity to take out the remainder of his foes.

Despite the warning from the SCA the hitman moved to take out another one of the boars while they stamped worrisome around the area, too stricken to continue their efforts from before. He was in the middle of another deadly swing when the silence fell. Even to him it was a bit on the eerie side of things.

Thankfully, it was enough warning for him to stop his swing. The next instant he was inside the train's luggage carriage but still posed to strike downwards with the sword in his hand. Despite whatever startled soul might have done in reaction to the sudden sight of the assassin about to strike them with a sword, the hitman calmly lowered the weapon and carefully sheathed it in the scabbard hanging off his belt. All as if nothing unusual had just occurred.

It was an interesting turn of events. Whatever that darkness had been it was definitely something worrisome according the train and whoever ran it. 47 would have eventually sought out shelter from it once he had finished his targets off but the train thought it was better to leave entirely rather than risk the loss of personnel. Interesting indeed.

A lurch of the train a second later and they were off. At a rapid pace. It was odd because usually it was impossible to tell how fast the train traveled but this time it seemed obvious they were going faster than usual. More fire to the fuel for the curiosity of this event. 47 was used to the train's departure so he hardly swayed when they took off and anyone else who wasn't used to it could easily use him as a hold to stay steady. He didn't seem to mind this time around. He was caught up in his thoughts anyway.

After a moment, as things began to settle and people got their bearings back, 47 began to move through the crowded carriage. It appeared the entire passenger list was crammed into this one train car. He did his best not to trip over luggage or other people as he headed for the exit.

[irrationally]

This is the worst. Everything about this. The mission already sucked, and suddenly being pulled back onto the train somehow manages to be even worse. The last shreds of Alice's patience disappeared a long time ago. If only hitting the train with a weapon would help anything, she'd be the first in line to get to it.

But before she can even fully regain her train (pun unintended) of thought, the train starts to move, almost threatening to knock her off her feet again. She sure didn't intend to grab onto 47 to keep standing, but instinctively she's latched onto his arm with both hands in a desperate attempt to not end up as part of the pile of people on the floor.

Sure, it's kind of embarrassing once she realises what she's instinctively done, but.. you know. Whatever. Who cares. She's Done with a capital D with this train and its shenanigans.

"How do you look so calm," she ends up asking him, rather than saying anything about her accidentally using him as a support beam over here. Better to not focus on that part.

People can interrupt her before she gets to the Standard Car.

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita doesn't need to be told twice - or even once, really. Something in her hindbrain, or perhaps just wizards' instinct, kicks in and has her activating the EVACUATE sequence before even the thought 'Oh SHIT' can properly form in response to those shadows.

Which means she's also one of the first in the Luggage Carriage to be getting out of the way.

Once she starts running, though, she doesn't stop, trying to make her way to the end of the Stores Carriage.

She stops, stumbling, in the Standard Carriage first, figuring that's as good a spot as any to try talking to the train again.

/WHAT- I mean, what were those- IDENTIFY?!/

It is half question, half panicked cry.

[voidtreckermods]

As before the connection comes easily. But unlike the last times she has tried, where the presence that was the train was distant and holding back this time it is close.

Fear floods into Nita's mind, pure fear. Almost primal in its intensity.

It is only for a moment and then she is expelled backwards, it is enough to make her physically stumble. The connection is lost and she will have a splitting headache for a good while.

Nerdanel

[marriedanidiot]

The darkness falls, and Nerdanel... panics. She's lost two of her sons already on the train, and... tis the Darkening all over again. With the dream fresh in her mind she's up and calling for her family and friends immediately.

"Feanaro! Atarinke! Ple Two!"

She probably called your name too.

[pleple]

Ple Two jumps at Nerdanel's call, hurrying to her side - neither of them seem hurt, but the urgency in her voice draws her in regardless.

"Nerdanel. Are you alright? What... what..." Ple Two can't blame her concern. Whatever that was, it had been terribly bad.

[blue_ice]

"What the---"

Kaiba is pulling another group of children to safety when the shapes approach. He beeping is impossible to ignore, and the fear that grips his heart is even more attention-grabbing. The world turns upside down and there he is, a suitcase hitting the ground hard as he stumbles to his feet.

And then he topples over again as the train leaves. The downsides of being tall.

"Ugh. Everyone okay?"

[knifewithnoname]

She has no idea what has just happened. One moment she was fighting a monster, the next there were shapes in the sky and her watch was beeping, telling her to get out.

Then she was in the luggage compartment with everyone on the train. The train lurched and she was sent sprawling. Embarrassing. She got to her feet and looked around with a frown.

"I do be being fine. What did that be being?"

[magicurls]

Those weren't ordinary clouds. A witch, Mami thought immediately, and launched into action. The ring on her finger glowed gold, and the light consumed her---she appeared again wearing white and yellow, and a moment later she'd whipped her small hat off and conjured a whole line of silver flintlock muskets. She had one in each hand, until the world lurched.

Mami dismissed the weapons in a flurry of yellow ribbon just in time, still dressed in those strange clothes. And then the world lurched again. She sailed through the air with a yelp, but shot yellow ribbon from her hands in all directions to cushion the falls of the people around her.

"Does that...usually happen?"

[iamnotgod]

Webmind was not in a hurry to the Luggage Car - indeed, when he did get there, he immediately sensed the need to retreat and let everyone have space.

But he noticed the ribbons, found them yet another surprising addition. A mundane object, doing not-so-mundane tasks.

"I would not know, unfortunately, but I expect the answer's no," he explained, holding a hand up to draw Mami's attention. There wasn't a smile on his face, this time, but a frown that could best be described as concern.

"You control all those ribbons individually?"

Luke Skywalker | Not Handling This Well

[faithfulson]

He had a bad feeling about this mission the moment they touched down on that world. Something had felt off from moment one, only to have it confirmed the moment the sky started to get dark.

Luke's natural reaction was to see to the natives; he ignored his SCA and was busily trying to get everyone to shelter immediately, but there was no time. The moment he started trying to shout for people to get underground, he felt like he was pulled away, and left sprawled out on something hard. It took him a moment to realize he was back on the train, collapsed on the luggage in a heap with everyone else it seemed.

He laid there for a moment, breathing hard and trying to piece everything that happened together. The peaceful setting, turned to disaster so quickly... he was certain if they had been left there longer, he would have heard the screaming...

Just like...

Luke bolted off of the luggage he was sprawled on, jumping over people as he made his way out of the compartment, bolting over to the driver's cab. Once he got there, he started pounding on the locked door as hard as he could, his hands shaking so bad it was a miracle he managed to hit it hard enough.

"Hey! Hey!" he shouted as loud as he could. "They're dead, aren't they!? Everyone, that whole world; they're all gone, aren't they!?"

He gave the door a sharp kick, definitely hurting his foot more than the door.

"Say something to us, dammit!"

[voidtreckermods]

He did indeed hurt his foot more than the wall, there's a reason the wall has a warning sign about punching it on it. As his foot connects he is repelled backwards, the strength of his kick reflected back on him, sending him sprawling, unless he can find his balance pretty quickly.

Silence meets his yells.

Watch the sharp pointy thing

[sensitiveapple]

At some point during the mission, Misa had gotten her hands on a sword almost as tall as she was and definitely as tall as Joss. So, when the sky darkened, and she looked up. All her fear and terror surged through the Force and she just stood her ground for a moment, holding the sword with scary competence. She'd looked back at the people she'd been trying to tell to get out of the town and said one word: "Run." She didn't have any idea what those things are, but she's willing to bet they're not about to be handing over tarts and party drinks.

However, when she flashes gold and appears on the train, she still has her sword and yelps, falling over the baggage and almost impaling herself. Scrambling a bit, she gets out of the luggage and is still holding the sword. "What the krif is going on?!" She shouts. Misa does not swear. She doesn't. It's improper ins certain company to swear for a courtesan-in-training. But now? Now she wants to know. Between the dream, warning of these shapes, and the sweat-slick hold she has on the sword, she's not one to be messed with right now.

[dredefulchilde]

Joss who does not appreciate the size comparison, thank you very much looks rather the worse for wear when Misa sees him. When the train suddenly snatched them back and took off, he’d been flung head-first against a wall, and now he sports broken glasses, a cut lip, and the beginnings of a rather lovely black eye. So far, the adrenaline hasn’t worn off enough for him to feel it quite yet.

“Misa!” He calls out, pushing toward her in the confusion. “Good, you’re all—what’s that?”

How had such a tiny, refined girl gotten her hands on a goddamned claymore?

[thebetterweapon]

Creed is an old soldier. The way to get to be an old soldier is by listening to your gut. He knows that. So, when the thing on his wrist starts flashing red, and the sky gets dark, even though he's headed back to the town, with a creature over each shoulder? He manages to tap the watch and appear back in the luggage car. ... With both of his boar-like things. (Look, Luke told him if he was going out, to bring back meat. He's just obeying orders.)

He stumbles a bit under the weight, but he doesn't lose his footing and immediately starts heading for the kitchen. Time to clean up - there's blood down his back and in his hair - and butcher a few things. But there's a spring in his step. Creed is... well, as happy as he ever gets.

[deductiongeek]

When the SCA beeps, Conan is busy. A part of his mind notices the stillness, and catches the red flash on the SCA. But most of his attention is going towards getting away from the boar that had just attacked him. With his good arm he is holding onto his skateboard, pressing down on the button for the motor as it pulls him away.

And that is when he gets pulled back to the luggage car, and almost instantly goes tumbling up against a suitcase.

[sweetnessandfight]

There's another somewhat small form tumbling not far away. Sarai's staff goes clattering--she has a death grip on her bow, but she is, at least, unhurt. Or mostly unhurt save for some scrapes, and then the utter lack of dignity.

"Did anyone catch the color of that chocobo?" she asks, weakly, before trying to right herself. Though she catches a glimpse of Conan, and that makes her shake off her daze and scramble to him, checking him over. Once she catches sight of blood, she fumbles for her white mage job stone.

"What happened? I have you, I can help," she says, reassuringly, even as she's working to change out jobs, slinging Failnaught back and reaching for her fallen staff. The outfit changes not at all, but there's some sort of change, be it in Sarai's aura or demeanor, somehow--her normal warm and cheerful persona expands to be more comforting and soothing; the healing aura of a White Mage, opposed to a Bard.

OTA

[dredefulchilde]

The next thing he knows, Joscelin is seeing stars.

The force of being pulled back onto the train, combined with the sudden takeoff, had sent the small boy flying face first into some shelves. His glasses snap on impact, leaving a rather nasty cut on the bridge of his nose, as well as the beginnings of a rather spectacular black eye and a fat lip.

He falls back to the floor, his descent broken none-too-gently by some suitcases and whatever unhappy person happens to be below him.

Re: OTA

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel catches the falling boy with the hand that isn't cradling a weasel. After a brief moment to let the other acclimatize himself, he lets Joss down to the floor at a more controlled vector and speed. "Steady there."

Glorfindel isn't going to ask if Joss is all right, not when he himself isn't either. Especially with the cut on the bridge of his nose and the broken glasses.

[I'm going to assume that the weasel then transferred to Joss on the other thread, since the two of you are close and all :)]

Waver Velvet | ota

[littlefury]

"Huh-?"

Waver had been looking at the sky when his watch started to flash--trying to discern what the hell those shapes even were. But then the next instant he was in the luggage carriage, immediately crashing to the ground in a heap of limbs and panicked confusion.

"W-w...what the hell just happened?!"

[knifewithnoname]

"I do no be knowing." She had picked herself from her embarassing collision with the floor and was looking around in confusion. She was still streaked with blood from her monster killing and a bit bruised from the crashing around.

"I do no be knowing what did be happening at all."

Noctis Lucis Caelum| OTA

[sonoflucis]

He almost panicked and froze when his SCA started beeping. He did what he was told, evacuating to the train by tapping his SCA. He groaned, and when their flung off their feet, his knee gives out and he sits there, unable to move. He's pale with pain as he tries to process what was happening.

[callmegladio]

Once the shock had worn off, Gladio realised what an idiot he'd been to just leave the luggage car when there were people inside. His people.

He was quick to return, looking for any of them. It was Noct he found first, almost huddled under one of the luggage racks and not looking too good.

Gladio crouched down beside him with a concerned expression. "Hey, why're you hiding down here?"

Dyme | OTA

[swansongs]

You know, Dyme would have tapped his SCA, if he'd realized that was what he was supposed to do. Instead, he'd been too mesmerized with whatever was happening in the sky. He didn't know a lot about weather phenomenon, or...not weather phenomenon, but he was pretty sure that was no good at all.

When he found himself back in the luggage room, he was disoriented, and already felt a little like puking before he was knocked off his feet by the train entering the void. He was lucky enough not to slam into anyone, but he was probably going to have a bruised elbow from knocking into other things.

"What the fuck was that?" he demanded. "What about all of those people?"

[mtsilver_conquor]

"I don't know-"

Eva, for all she's trying to keep it together, looks as angry and worried as she sounds. "This has never happened before. Does it think we couldn't have saved them?!"

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter doesn't understand. Everything had been fine at first. He thought they were doing a pretty good job but then the sky turned weird and his spidey-sense started blaring like a civil defense system. He wanted to stay and find out more his senses were on overdrive and he couldn't. He tapped the SCA like he'd done on the Goblin world and found himself laying in the luggage car. Immediately the feeling of intense danger recedes to something far more manageable.

What the hell was that? He rolls to his feet and goes to a window to see if he can make anything out. Then, very quickly more and more people turn up. What was going on? He heads back to the luggage carriage to locate his friends and family to make sure they made it back on.

[adropofsunlight]

Rapunzel was currently playing with her hair, which for the time being she had managed to get it out of it's usual tied up style. It was simply because she was pretty much concerned about the situation and the fact she didn't know about the situation that playing with her hair and braiding it just was an okay way for her to try and calm herself down.

At least until she clocked onto the other "Ah, Peter. I'm glad to see you."

Piccolo | OTA

[shutupnail]

Piccolo was out with Red Team when the darkness came. He had been ignoring the feeling of dread for a while now but it got to panic levels whenever the not-clouds rolled in. Now he understood. It wasn't just his imagination, but Kami trying to warn him. It didn't matter now. He could out-fly it but that would only last if it stopped. He had the feeling it was going to consume the entire planet at the rate it was going.

So he didn't run. That wasn't in his nature. Not if it wouldn't help in the long run. He floated in place and waited, a scene of previous battle beneath him, as he stared down the dark shapes.

Then he was one of the train's carriages as if Goku had come to Instant Transmission him out of harm's way. Thankfully, it was similar enough that the teleportation didn't effect him despite the sudden difference in orientation. He blinked in surprise and then that was that. But the train suddenly started moving and he reached up to the ceiling to steady himself, stretching out his other hand to help steady whoever else needed the support after so sudden a departure.

"Well that was..." He trailed off, no real words for what just happened.

[happyends]

You're a godsend, Piccolo. Especially to the tiny people who have absolutely no way of reaching the ceiling. Madoka in fact does look like she's about to stumble right over when the train starts moving, only to be held upright at the last moment by a sudden hand.

It makes Madoka look up at him in surprise - surprise that mostly only lasts momentarily, since a small smile appears on her face instead a moment later. Sure, this whole situation is overwhelming - and even that doesn't feel like an adequate enough word for it - but at least it seems everyone is here and okay..? And the fact that Piccolo is once more nice enough to help her out helps too.

".. Strange.." She slowly finishes his statement. The smile doesn't fully fade, but she looks a lot more thoughtful as she says it. "R.. Right? Are you okay, mister Piccolo..?" Sure, he's much too awesome for something to have happened to him, but she has to make sure anyway! Someone has to look out for him too!

[radishlobbyist]

Wen Qing is with one of the last groups leaving town accompanied by Team Orange when the sky turns dark with unnatural speed and every cultivator's instinct in her tells her to ready herself for battle.

It shows quickly that there is no outrunning the dark clouds that don't move like clouds and whatever may be coming from them. Something cold settles low in her gut, first dread and then determination as she lets her gaze wander over the group she protects. They are people much like her own relatives back at the Burial Mounds, too old or too young or too injured to be moving fast, bogged down by the carts they need.

Her SCA starts beeping and she gives it a sharp, dismissive look. Danger. Yes, she has noticed. Ignoring it, her hand goes for her sword and she tells the group to keep moving as fast as they can and not turn back, then she takes a deep breath and readies herself. She's not a fighter but she is still a cultivator. She was trained in the sword and the cultivation techniques of her sect, even if she has never used them to harm another person.

There are shapes appearing and she draws her sword while she gathers her qi for the cruel fire techniques more martial Wen once used in war...

...and then she is back, the flames gathering in her hand snuffed out by her own sheer surprise. Still holding her sword, she is thrown to the side, into some other body, and with a cold that reaches deeper than when she readied herself for battle, she knows what's happening.

She stands there utterly shell-shocked, still holding on to her sword while others around her leave. Slowly, fury boils up in her.

They have just run away.

[irrationally]

Alice probably isn't quite looking her best self right now. She already felt like she was running on fumes going into the mission, only to practically snap halfway through, and now this incredibly odd and sudden departure from the world isn't making things better. She's just trying to catch her breath and get her thoughts together into something that resembles a remotely working order again.

But that's when she spots Wen Qing just.. standing there. She still seems more shocked than angry - for now - to Alice, but no matter how her own mind feels like it's hanging by a thin thread, some concern bubbles up within her anyway. Wen Qing fussed about her before when she first showed up, so maybe she ought to do the same now - even though the timing is the absolute worst.

She gets up on shakey legs, moving closer to the other. Not bothering to ask if she's alright, because duh, she's obviously not.

"Did you see?" Back there in that world, she means. The dark shadows. Why else would Wen Qing be looking like that?

[les_magique]

Samata hadn't thought to use the SCA, and had been morbidly curious about the dark shapes in the sky. Were they a natural phenomena or some manner of giant creatures? Were they native to this world, or visitors like she was? She kept staring at the clouds, trying to make sense of them, right up until the golden light had yanked her back to the train and the lurching takeoff had yanked her right off her feet and into a pile of luggage.

After a moment of staring at the ceiling, mind still struggling to catch up with everything that had just happened, Samata suddenly yelled "What in the DEPTHS was THAT?"

[flatteries]

Well, Samata's yelling is probably not really helping the complete chaos going on with everyone shoved into one luggage carriage, but at the same time.. Inigo can't really blame her. She's saying what he's thinking right now, honestly.

But rather than have an answer ready to her question - does anyone right now, really? - he instead turns to her with concern in his eyes, even as he's trying to keep the rest of his facial expression relatively casual despite the overwhelming situation.

"Samata! Are you alright?"

Would she be yelling if she was, Inigo?

closed to yuki

[flatteries]

Whatever Inigo may have been expecting out of this mission, this sure wasn't it. Standing up on the wall had actually been kind of boring with so little to do other than just.. waiting around. It really made him glad that Yuki was in the same team as him, because he feels like he may just about have died of boredom if he had to wait there without his company.

But then things rapidly changed. Inigo was so ready to fight.. whatever those dark shapes were, but then suddenly everything is gone. He gasps as he finds himself suddenly yanked back onto the train instead. There's suddenly so many sounds of people being thrown around, people being piled on top of each other - it's complete sensory overload, but Inigo tries to mentally fight his way through it anyway. Sure, he's really hoping all of his friends are alright, but he has one clear priority now. His head snaps back and forth as he looks through the carriage, his heart racing with worry until he spots the familiar silver hair.

"Yuki!"

He doesn't care that he's just adding to the cacophony of noises currently going on. This is way too important.

Inigo grabs Yuki's hand the moment he's close enough. "Yuki-- Are you okay?" He doesn't try to cover up worry with jokes or a smile right now. Instead it's just fully visible, completely on display.

[areasontohope]

The town had been charming considering how small it was. Inigo seemed pretty bored but really boring was better than being in a space ship trying to make sure the controls were working and hoped they would do what they were supposed to do when the time came.

He'd managed to collect seeds and flowers. There looked to be vegetables Yuki thought he recognized too so those went into his backpack. After all, he'd promised Madoka.

The dark matter descended and he was pretty damn sure they were all going to die. But the lights flashed on their devices and he got shoved pretty hard against a wall. Now he knew what it felt like when he flattened Kyo a thousand times or so. So he crumpled to the floor with a slight groan.

Blearily gray eyes blinked up at hearing Inigo's voice a few minutes later, everything on him hurt. Trying not to worry the boy, Yuki shook his head speaking groggily. "I'm fine."