Echoes in a Void

[voidtreckermods]

"Good morning passengers, today is day twenty of the month of Horseshoe." The day begins normally at least. Passengers wake in their bed, perhaps get up, begin to start their morning.

It is perhaps less than an hour after waking that the first problems occur, turbulence making the train shake and roll. It's not quite bad enough to throw most sure footed passengers off their feet, but it is not very pleasant. Anyone near the window will notice the void looks different. The colours are bolder and shift more violently than usual.

"Passengers of the Voidtrecker Express, please brace yourselves for a Voidstorm." The announcement is not that useful, but a moment later the ICPs all show a message.

The void continues to shift and swirl, violent and mesmerising.

Outside

It might be that the strange effects of the void draw them to the windows, or it might be that they hear a voice. A friend, a lover, a mother. Calling them. Soft and sweet, high and playful.

Join us. It's tempting, faces show in the void outside, pleading and cajoling. Passengers might even see places, a home, a land long lost. Just outside, not out of reach at all. All they have to do is join them, enter the chaos of the void. Or at least stay close, watch through the windows, stare into the void...

Inside

The shapes outside the train are not the worrying thing, as the storm progresses people will start noticing that the train seems fuller than usual. An empty carriage becomes full in a moment, people eating and playing or reading. A friend passengers thought long gone walking down the corridor towards them. Or perhaps it is not a voidtrecker that they know, but a stranger in uniform going about their business, seemingly normal until they pass through them, leaving them chilled and weak.

They gravitate towards those who are alone, following them, gathering around them, sapping them of energy.

Safety in Numbers

Sticking together is the safest course of action. Being together, physical contact or just shared activities will make the echoes leave them alone. Start a game, encourage a beanbag reading circle. Anything to keep people distracted and together.

Stay strong, Voidtreckers, the storm shall soon pass.

(OOC: Here is the ooc information for this event. This post can be used as a catch all, or you can start your own posts set during this time.)

Comments

[ramengroupie]

Fortunately, despite his height, there isn't much to Ken - he's deadweight at first, but seeing Xion try for his sake has him mustering the energy to try and push himself out of the ghost's sphere of influence, too. A total stranger....for his sake. He can't give up!

(Said ghost watches him go, quirks an eyebrow in irritation at the unpleasant awkwardness of the tableau on display, then turns her head to avoid having to witness any more of this scene. IF SHE SIPS HER PHANTOM TEA ALL THE COMMONERS WILL GO AWAY.)

Ken, thus propelled, takes a few halting steps forward. He's not particularly coordinated right now, so he might bump into his rescuer.

He's extremely sorry.

[nobodys_puppet]

Normally that wouldn't be an issue. But she's pushed beyond spent, beyond her limits, so when he pumps into her... down she goes. Her weapon skids out onto the floor next to her and she manages to twist and land on hands and knees rather than on her back...

But that's about ALL she can manage at the moment, breathing hard, trembling.

[ramengroupie]

--She's in just as bad a shape as he is. When she falls over, Ken's eyes widen, and he instantly kneels to look her over. She'd been helping him, and he -

Dwelling on guilt won't resolve anything. Looking after her might.

"You! Are you hurt?"

Ken can push through his own exhaustion if it's for someone else. Wormmon climbs up Ken's back and peers over his partner's shoulder: he doesn't want to be apart from Ken-chan ever, ever, EVER again, but he also doesn't want someone who hurt Ken-chan to suffer!

Did he ask a person who wasn't well herself to help? Did he do a bad thing?

[nobodys_puppet]

She shook her head. She wasn't. Just exhausted. Hurt was easier.

[ramengroupie]

And that exhaustion won't get any better if they stay in the aisle, where ghostly passengers are more likely to pass through them, isn't it.

"Let's rest somewhere else." Ken moves to try and support Xion, helping her up if she'll let him. This close, she might be able to tell he's breathing rather hard, himself, and his eyelids keep threatening to shut.

But he can't....give in. Not...to what the void storm wants. When there's things he has to do.

[nobodys_puppet]

She was trembling too hard, and too spent herself to notice. But she didn't fight his aid. She was more or less dead weight, unfortunately. But thankfully that weight was slight. She was a tiny little thing.

"It is too crowded everywhere," she whispered, voice as weak as she was. Her weapon vanished.

She would have gone to sleep in her bunk a while back, if it weren't for how many people were there...

[ramengroupie]

"Too crowded..."

"Ken-chan, we could go there." Wormmon can think of one place that shouldn't have many people in it!

Ken nods. "Hang on," he promises Xion - he's never seen a weapon like hers before, but it vanishing can't be a good sign - and they begin to move. Somewhere to rest, that usually isn't crowded -

They only know so many places on the train. But they think (they hope) they might know of one.

[nobodys_puppet]

She stumbled with him - he was holding her, so she had little choice - but had no clue where they were going. Her eyes kept fluttering, and she kept thinking about how much easier it would be to just sleep. Axel would understand if she slept for a few weeks, it wasn't like that never happened to her...

But this was a Somebody she didn't know. Would he destroy her if she let her guard down like that? Would he try to hurt her? Or would he try and help and Axel would think he was trying to hurt her and fight him, and get hurt himself?

For Axel she tried to keep moving, to not succumb. To keep him from getting hurt. It was the only way she had to protect her best friend.

[ramengroupie]

Ken paces himself so as not to exhaust Xion further, and sooner or later they're leading her past a brightly-colored, indescribable sign (indescribable mostly because the thread where it's being created is ongoing, but suffice to say it's a WONDERFUL MESS). Beyond this sign is - a bunk of sleepers?

And nobody's in this one, for now. Ken exhales: he'd been right. Everyone is out dealing with the void storm.

"Do you need to lie down?" he asks. Wormmon hops up onto a top bunk and makes a grabby gesture: up here, up here! "I'm not sure sleeping is a good idea" - it's void-storm-induced sleep, isn't it? - "but it should be quiet and safe here."

LOL on the sign

[nobodys_puppet]

She didn't know how this bunk was empty when hers wasn't, but she collapsed onto one of the low bunks as soon as she could and huddled up on the small bed, looking small and scared.

wormmon's name wasn't on the sign the train provided. romeo is Helping

[ramengroupie]

She's that spent. Ken hopes he did the right thing bringing her here. She doesn't look just tired, though, but also....

"Hey." Wormmon has just realized he hasn't been able to thank her for saving Ken-chan, not properly. He sticks his head down from the top bunk, which means he's looking at her upside-down with his antennae dangling. "What's your name?"

That is too cute!

[nobodys_puppet]

She peeked up from under her hood. "X...Xion...." she said quietly.

i'm both excited and terrified to discover the particulars of the finished product

[ramengroupie]

Xion-chan, then. Ken offers her a gentle smile, seeing what Wormmon's doing.

"I'm Ken," he contributes. "My partner is Wormmon."

"I'm Wormmon."

So there can be no doubt!

"Hey, Xion. Thanks for helping save Ken-chan. You were really brave."

I want to see what you guys come up with

[nobodys_puppet]

Xion... chan? What... did that mean?

"Brave?" She was so confused. And so very very tired. She slid onto her side, eyes closing.

that can be arranged

[ramengroupie]

"Ah--"

Ken starts forward, ready to interfere if this looks like a dangerous sort of sleep instead of just an "I've had a long day" one. This is a conundrum. He doesn't want her to fall prey to the void storm while he's watching, but how will he be able to tell...?

Yet he'd also taken her somewhere she can rest because she clearly needed it.

Wormmon drops down off the top bunk, bounces once, and wiggles over to Xion. He will investigate, Ken-chan!

And he will accidentally make himself available if Xion is the sort of person who likes to hold things while she sleeps...

Cool. Thanks!

[nobodys_puppet]

She isn't. Starting to drift off she actually uncurled and rolled onto her back, falling into a deeper sleep in her usual sleep pose, unaware that her hood fell partially off as she rolled, exposing her face to them for the first time.

o7

[ramengroupie]

--She's young. Wormmon skitters out of Xion's way as Ken observes her descent into slumber. Perhaps it's just the effects of the day, but she seems even more frail now that he can see her features...

Though that pose is more relaxed than her earlier fear had been. Is that a good sign? If this were a dangerous sleep, would she have uncurled like that?

Once Xion has settled, Wormmon crawls forward again. Just to do a breath check. He's pretty sure everything is OK.

But Ken-chan worries!

[nobodys_puppet]

Unless he wakes her, she'd sleep like that for days. Which means until the train moves her to her own bunk. He... might want to try to wake her.

[ramengroupie]

"Ken-chan, now what?"

Wormmon looks up at Ken with complete faith his partner will figure this out. And Ken...is thinking. His bunk is one of the upper ones; she's currently on the Professor's, and while the man seems considerate, Ken would also feel responsible if his actions caused someone to be out their sleeping place. Moving her here had seemed like a solid idea because it met the criteria she wanted, but...

...She'd fallen asleep so quickly. Above all, that's concerning.

Kneeling, Ken moves to slowly try and place a hand on Xion's shoulder. He doesn't want to startle her awake, but if he can gradually make her aware of the outside world...

"Xion....chan....?"

[nobodys_puppet]

Her eyes fluttered slowly. "Axel? Roxas?" she asked, looking up at the ceiling. Her head slowly turned towards him and her eyes went huge as she saw him and she tried to pull as far away as the narrow bunk allowed, face making it clear she's terrified.

[ramengroupie]

....He succeeded, and yet failed. Well, the most important objective was managed. Ken keeps his voice soft.

"I apologize for frightening you."

....And for frightening Wormmon, who skittered in the opposite direction as Xion when she made her sudden move.

"Resting up is important, but you might want to try to stay awake. The void storm has been putting people to sleep."

He'd have fallen victim right alongside her, if it hadn't been for her. So Ken has to do what he can to assist Xion.

[nobodys_puppet]

"The storm is....?" She shuddered. She was so tired. She still didn't realize that her hood was down.

[ramengroupie]

She hadn't realized? Ken doesn't feel completely confident in his information, but he can share what he is sure about.

"I don't know how. But it's showing illusions, and they're dangerous to touch."

Ken smiles, somewhat bashful. "That's why you had to save me."

"Thank you again."

Wormmon is over his surprise now. And is really grateful! Really!

[nobodys_puppet]

"Oh." She looked down at her gloves and shrugged. "You're a Somebody," she said as if that explained everything.

[ramengroupie]

"....Somebody?"

Ken's sorry, Xion. But your response that explains everything

explained nothing.