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

[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?"

[magicurls]

"I'll have to ask everyone, then," Mami responded, smoothing her skirt. "Think I'll do that. And...yes."

She shook her head. "Just a small spell."

[iamnotgod]

"Any such spell is more than I can do," Webmind stated, flashing that smile-face on his screen again.

"And being able to carry so much is no small feat... though I suspect you can let go of everyone now."

Now that the inertia of the train wasn't knocking people down and all.

[magicurls]

"Oh---of course!" Mami waved her hand sheepishly, letting everyone get to their business.

"But we all have to do what we can, where we can. And protect each other if we can't save ourselves. Right?"

[iamnotgod]

"Quite right," Webmind said.

"Now, do you require medical assistance yourself? Or I can help bring people to the medical carriage if necessary."

Given there were other kinds of healers here, though, it might not be.

[magicurls]

"No, I can take care of myself," she answered with a small smile. "If I build stretchers, can you help me with them?"

Turn into a group thread, or handwave them helping people?

[iamnotgod]

"Certainly," Webmind replied - if anything, his voice brightened.

"If this body is useful for anything, carrying things is among them."

Handwave is fine!

[magicurls]

"All right. Thank you"

And so she begins her search for the injured, the occasional gold glow from her hand healing minor aches.

"I didn't see you come with us. Were you here waiting?"

[iamnotgod]

"Yes," Webmind said, moving to and fro as quietly as he was able - which, fortunately, was true to some extent.

"I considered myself unlikely to be able to mingle without causing the natives fear or suspicion."

He seemed less happy about that admission.

[adropofsunlight]

"I...don't honestly know. I've only done the one mission and no one has ever mentioned something like this happening before." Rapunzel didn't know what to think honestly. What just happened?

But it made her worry never the less. They never finished what they were meant to do. So what does that mean?

[magicurls]

"The train should really talk to us. All of this control from the outside just doesn't sit right."

She sighs. "How are we supposed to perform our missions well if we don't know half of what's going on?"

[adropofsunlight]

"You would think it would explain itself." Because she wanted to know why herself.

"I don't like what happened or that we got pulled before we could really do anything and now I don't know what that means for that place." She shook her head slightly. She did agree with the other as well. "I... honestly don't know. The train has a lot to explain."

[magicurls]

"But how do we ask...? It's never spoken before, right?"

That was the problem.

[adropofsunlight]

That was a big problem indeed. She didn't know personally.

"I don know... I mean others might be trying to talk to them, right? Should we leave it to them or try the same as well?"

[magicurls]

"Give it time. If they don't get anything, we can try a different approach. A little kindness goes a long way."

[adropofsunlight]

"That I agree on. Kindness seems to go a long way here. I mean everyone I've known has been as such and I've learned a lot because of it."

[happyends]

"Mami-san..!"

Madoka's fall is indeed cushioned just in time by one of those ribbons, thankfully. Although it doesn't change much about this whole situation just.. being so strange. All of them suddenly being back on the train like this, all of them squished together in the same carriage.. It's kind of overwhelming, and so the moment Madoka finds some strength in her legs again, she stumbles right over to the other girl and just half-falls against Mami into a desperate hug.

"Oh.. M-Mami-san, are you okay?!" In general, she means, not just because Madoka just accidentally tackled her...

[magicurls]

"Madoka!"

And down Mami goes once more, the two of them toppling into a suitcase. Thankfully she keeps it from closing on them with another well-placed ribbon.

"Yes, I'm fine...they didn't reach the wall before we were pulled away. What happened to you?"

[happyends]

She lets out a sigh of relief. Sure, this whole situation is still extremely disorienting, but if at least Mami isn't hurt, then that's already one great thing about the whole situation. Even though Madoka knows Mami is more than capable, she still can't help but worry about the other after what she witnessed back home..

"We were leading the people out of the town towards the south when all those strange clouds appeared.. But we were also pulled back before anything more happened."

As far as she knows it was all of them, anyway. She'll have to check later to make sure everyone she knows made it back, but for now she's already glad enough to just have Mami here with her. Forgive Madoka if she clings to her like this for a little while more..

".. Although I'm worried about the people from that city we left behind.."

[magicurls]

"I know, Madoka...I am too..."

Mami allows it. She hangs on with a wistful sigh, fearing for what had happened to the people.

"I was afraid it was a witch. The clouds almost looked like one. It could be even worse than that, so I have to be stronger."

[happyends]

"You think so..?" There's something faintly alarmed in her tone as she asks. Madoka hadn't even considering yet that it might be a witch - she has seen so many other threats ever since arriving in this place that witches usually aren't the first thing on her mind anymore - but now she's thinking about it, it could be possible. The whole thing with those dark shapes.. It was almost a little like what she saw from Walpurgisnight right before ending up here.

.. That's really not a fun thought though.

"M-Maybe we could have fought it though. I mean.. I know there's not much I can do, but you're so strong already, Mami-san. And there's a lot of other strong people on the train too. I don't know why we had to leave.."

[magicurls]

"It's possible. Not that I know about all the kinds of dangers...but the world shifting, the pain and dread...I worry about it every time."

Mami absently tugs on one of her curls.

"Maybe it was a big one. Bigger than anything we've ever seen. Even a huge group couldn't...or maybe it just ambushed us."

[happyends]

Madoka goes quiet for a moment. She really, really wants to believe they could have done something against it. They're so many strong people - people with special powers on the same level as magical girls in some cases. But on the other hand, Mami is more experienced when it comes to battle. She probably knew better what they were facing down, so Madoka doesn't want to protest her assessment.

But of course one thing about it still doesn't sit right with her, making the girl look rather sad.

"But.. those people there. We left them behind.."

[magicurls]

"All I can do is hope they find peace," Mami admits, closing her hands in prayer for a moment. "It's scary, and it's hard, and it's not fair...but we can pray for that."