At the End of the Storm [Open/Catchall]

[namethattune]

Who: Anyone and Everyone
Where: The entire train
When: The day after the Voidstorm - Horseshoe 21
What: The storm is over. Time to recover.
Warnings: None so far

Yesterday, there was a storm. Yesterday, the Void called out to you, and phantoms of the past appeared outside the windows and inside the cars. Yesterday was...difficult, to say the least.

Today is calm - as calm as things ever are. Today, you have time to recover. There are hastily-covered windows to clean off; there are friends and teammates to check in on; there are even normal, everyday chores, because life does not stop for a single storm.

Or perhaps you succumbed completely to yesterday's phantoms and need to rest and regain your strength.

Regardless of what you need, there is time enough, at the moment.

Comments

OTA (Afternoon)

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita's morning had been somewhat busy - between checking on her missing roommate (and her present roommates), and helping a certain Eight with her project in the Quiet Car, she'd been rather occupied.

Now, she had opened her purview to cleaning up the train in general; it was Orange Team's assignment, still. Removing blockages (magical or not) from the windows just added another feature to it.

[consider8]

Eight is pleased. She had been able to scoot a lot of the major tools and tables to one side of the car, allowing for a very large section in the middle to be made available for the mural project. She never asked Nita to be involved with it, but was grateful regardless.

"This is really starting to come together!" She smiled, looking over their handiwork. She was proud! Chores and work was a good way to pass the time, but this felt real. This felt meaningful.

This felt good.

Re: OTA (Afternoon)

[herarrows]

Selenay is wearing orange herself, although she's still a little bit miffed about it. She's smart enough to keep it to herself, though, especially in public. She can be irritated on her own time. There are things to do now.

She's not unaccustomed to work--all the Trainees had chores regardless of their status--so she's absently completing the cleaning as well, only half paying attention to the people around her. Just barely enough to know they're around, really. Her voice matches too, when she sort of vaguely addresses a shape of a person nearby.

"Could you hand me that, please?"

Alfredo OTA

[hisblueskies]

Alfredo had been one of those hit hard by the void's creations; a rather common problem for those on the train, true, but that did not make it any less painful.

He tried to put on a brave face, and he owed certain people an apology for the burden he had put on them... but in the end there was no keeping the stress out of his shoulders, or his gait.

Had the void been attacking them, specifically, in that storm? Or - and this was a newer thought - had it simply reached into their own hearts, and in the end the ones causing the harm had been themselves?

Lost in these musings, he may bump into people, though he would always apologize.

[adregem]

Roland was spared the worst of the affair, thankful for the company which he focused on instead of the phantoms that called for him from the void. Not that hearing them out loud is anything new, he'll think to himself then. The void storm just made them noisier, rowdier.

So when he bumps into Alfredo by that narrow hallway, his head down and a little dazed, Roland knows what's done this to the boy. Most of the train, really. Bambosh the Brave is seated nicely on his shoulder, peering its wide wiggly eyes, mostly expressionless yet still emotive somehow, over to Alfredo.

"Hey." Roland says, one hand resting against his hip. "Don't apologize. You okay?" He knows he might not be, but worth asking regardless.

[zechs_isonfire]

The affects of the void storm - even since Zechs kept far more to himself - were far less noticeable in the former soldier. He was used to disguising such high levels of stress - a way to protect himself and project strength.

Zechs recognized it in the boy that ran into him, apologizing, however. He nodded his head, and spoke calmly.

"No need to apologize," he told him.

Siebren de Kuiper | Orange Team | OTA

[namethattune]

1. Look how they shine for you

[Siebren wakes with the morning announcement, rolls to his side to get out of bed, and promptly collapses back onto his back. He put no small amount of effort into making sure the team pulled through the storm intact yesterday, and it seems today is the day to pay the piper. His back and shoulders ache - the result of being slammed into the wall, he assumes - and he is heavy with the bone-deep exhaustion that comes from overuse of his powers. Usually it passes after adequate rest, but he had stayed up late last night - in case the phantoms returned, in case he was needed, in case something he had not thought of occurred - and evidently what mandatory rest he had gotten does not count as adequate. And...did he eat yesterday? He does not remember, but if he did, it was not enough.]

[It is to be one of those days, then. Wonderful.]

[He waits until his roommates have left before leaving his bunk and getting ready for the day, such as it is. He is not fit for company, and does his best to avoid anyone on the train. There must be a place where he can get some privacy - perhaps the quiet car will do. He makes his way there, picks a booth at random, and opens the door to see dots and lines drawn carefully on the walls-]

[No, he realizes a moment later - they are constellations. Neat and precise, located exactly where they ought to be given a view from Earth's surface...he sits down on the bench and simply breathes for a moment, looking up at home.]

[Wait. No. This is not the proper way to stargaze.]

[He lies back on the bench, knees up against the wall - the bench is not quite long enough to accommodate, but it will do. It is worth it for this. Seeing the stars - even for a given value thereof - is...cozy. Comfortable, in a way he has not been since...]

["Nothing like getting to see the stars up close and personal, huh?"]

["We are hardly up close - simply closer."]

["C'mon, you know what I mean. We're stargazing from the moon. How many people get to do this?"]

["You do have a point, Dr. Winston-"]

["C'mon, Sieb, we talked about this. Call me Harold."]

["...Harold. It is quite the sight."]

[...since a long time ago.]

[He closes his eyes and drifts off to sleep under the marker stars. Left to his own devices, he will sleep for most of the morning; that said, he is a light sleeper and can be easily awoken.]

2. And all the things that you do

[Once he rouses, Siebren spends much of the rest of the day cleaning up the previous day's messes. There are rooms to be rearranged and windows to uncover, and there will always be work for someone who can easily reach high places. While he can be found helping with any given task, he is most often seen removing coverings from the windows, humming a tune while he works. (If you cross his path more than once, or spend any amount of time working with him, you may realize it is the same tune, in what seems like a long but endless loop.)]

[Join him in his tasks, or perhaps be roped in if he catches sight of you.]

Would you mind holding this?

[He holds out a neatly folded blanket. It may or may not be a sticky spider-made blanket. Only one way to find out.]

3. Wildcard

[Want something different? Hit me up at kiaxet or Kiaxet#7085 on discord!]

1

[ramengroupie]

Ken-chan, look! It's the stars we heard about!

Mm. [ Ken holds up a finger to his lips to remind Wormmon to be quiet in the quiet car, though he's curious enough that they peer in. That is impressive. Senku from the petrified world had drawn these, hadn't he......?

.....Oh. Oh, dear.

Ken hopes they haven't disturbed the sleeper, having come up behind him with Wormmon talking and all. ]

2

[iamnotgod]

[Roped into a task? This Internet?]

Of course; it is no trouble.

[... It's more likely than you think.

He at least knows what his roommate's webs can be like, so any stickiness will not be a surprise.

For the moment, however, Webmind has nothing to add, merely watching to see what Siebren needs next.]

[10billionpercent]

[ Senku had always liked the quiet cars, the fact he happened to 'redecorate' one in a fit of inspiration to avoid dealing with what had been bothering him, made that one his favourite. Likely it was always going to be the one he picked every time, at first.

The door isn't locked so when he opens it, he's expecting it to be empty.

It isn't. Oops. ]

Ah sorry- [ He cuts himself off, is the man sleeping? He'll step back out, intending to shut the door. ]

2

[stillnewatthis]

I will be happy to assist!

[An omnic -- really, unmistakably one! -- accepts his blanket in her single hand quite cheerfully. Several of the window coverings lie draped over her fusion driver.]

Does this need to be laundered?

2 - do do the things you do

[fun_thementalist]

[ Gen is very used to getting roped into other people's tasks ]

Ah - yes, I suppose I don't mind, thank you.


[ He'll take the blanket ]


That's a cheerful little tune!

[ramengroupie]

Ken is standing in the entrance to a carriage, Wormmon on his head. "Cleaning passenger areas and bedrooms" is the orange team's job for this month, but that's not the only reason he's shown up with a bucket of soapy water and his orange washcloth and towels.

No, that would be the lattices of web coating the windows. Lattices of rather....adhesive-looking....web.

Wormmon observes his handiwork with something akin to pride. "I worked hard yesterday, didn't I, Ken-chan?"

"You did." And it was necessary, so there's no use in feeling guilty about property defacement now. "Let's work hard again today."

"Yeah!"

Ken strides in. Once more, he needs to undo what he has done.

And, once more, it's going to be an extreme struggle. Wormmon hadn't just worked hard yesterday, Wormmon had panicked.

These Sticky Nets are extra-sticky.

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin staggers into the carriage, likewise carrying a bucket and a sponge from the kitchen, towels, and a mop and broom. He still hasn't recovered, either from the the emotional or the physical aspects of the Void echoes. Too many ghostly passengers walked right through him and knocked the crap out of his energy core.

He spots Ken and Wormmon and lifts a hand in greeting. "Going to work on our monthly chores assignment?" In the process, the broom and mop clatter to the floor. He looks down in puzzlement. It's not like him to forget his hands are full.

Jessica "Jessie' Custer-OTA

[unholyandbroken]

Jessie has not left the smoking car since escaping that closet. After that reminder of Angelville she is not dealing and is shoving via her favorite move: chain smoking. So just follow the smoke if checking in? But a mutter about restocking can be heard, she does have a DIY supply now.

Senku Ishigami | OTA

[10billionpercent]

[A]

[ Senku's head hurts, like he's hungover, thanks to spending a good chunk of the day before staring out the window, and so he might seem a bit shorter than usual, he also looks tense.

He busies himself in the kitchen, cutting up a couple of pineapples into tiny, bite sized chunks, or he's making tea, chamomile. It won't help his headache, but probably it would help better than trying to consume caffeine. ]

[B]

[ In the afternoon, once he's feeling a little more like himself and less like he'd been out partying all night which honestly - if he was going to stay up all night, it wouldn't be to party - he can be found in the standard car with a microscope, a gift he got from Gen and he had his bag on the seat beside him so he could take a look at the samples that Roland gave him, his notebook open so he could take a few notes. ]

A

[herarrows]

[Selenay might suggest wine for a headache, even knowing that it would only be worse tomorrow, but for the moment, at least, she can really only tell that the boy doesn't feel well. She isn't a Healer, for certain.]

Hello again. You seem a little worse for the wear. [So does everyone, really0 At least they aren't leaping off islands this time.]

OTA

[deductiongeek]

Conan had slept through the afternoon and through the night, not waking up until after the event was over. He'd completely missed everything that had happened while he was asleep.

And he still felt drained, like he hadn't slept at all. Pushing off the exhaustion that was still dragging at him, he makes his way to the dining car. Maybe this time he'd be able to sneak some coffee.

He probably should be resting, but who had time for that?

[blue_ice]

Kaiba is there, stubbornly spraying some of the webbed windows with a bleach mixture. He turns to Conan and notes his exhausted expression.

"...found anything for breakfast yet?"

Everything's been a little slow today, seemingly. Including his own quest for food.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Super. Just super. After all that mess, now he had to do something like double laundry because people had started coming up with deliveries of new outfits and stuff. Wonderful. He was so freaking happy for them.

Edge had primarily chosen today to do his run at the chores because with enough sharp looks and cutting words, he figured he could get anyone who wandered up here to leave him to his own devices soon enough. Let them all go spend quality time with their friends and found family and people they knew from back home. They didn't deserve to come afoul of his attitude anyway, as he knew perfectly well.

Of course, the sound of him angrily kicking a load of laundry into the washer, rather than sensibly loading it in smaller batches, came through clearly down the stairs and into storage. For a ninja, he was pretty loud.

[fun_thementalist]

Gen had heard the sound down the hallway, and. He's not really very good at leaving well enough alone. He came down to peek his head in, taking a look at the ninja with raised eyebrows.

"I'm sure those linens have learned their lesson," Gen quipped, watching Edge kick the laundry.

Agent 8 | ota~

[consider8]

After her announcement, Eight was busy with her new project. With Nita's help, she had shifted many of the bigger things to one side of the room, creating a rather big canopy of workbenches, shelves, and various tools. There were more of them to count, but she had set up one shelf with a polite but firm "Do not remove." She had plans for those later, and wouldn't mind the extra scenery as she worked.

The rest of the day she took some time to look in on a few people to see how they were doing. She also made sure to spend her time completing her chores as asked, because she massive project or not she wasn't about to let her responsibilities slip.

The only brief moments of rest that she allows herself to have are stop to eat and sleep. She's so busy, in fact, that she may be starting to smell a little... ripe.

But it's not like there was an ink-dispensing shower head on the train, so what was she going to do?

[blitzcheer]

It's not like Tidus doesn't know where she likely is, after their small chat (that totally didn't include him embarrassing her, no siree). Which, good job him! Being all helpful! But he was curious about her project, whatever it was she was up to... and maybe he wanted to say hi in person, see how she was doing.

So with that in mind, there's a knock-knock-knock on the door before Tidus pokes his head into the room. And lo and behold-

"Hey! 'Sup?"

[blue_ice]

scrubbing time

[ As a member of Orange, it's his unfortunate duty to clean up the massive mess left behind by yesterday's events. He's primarily scrubbing windows, but can also be found picking up snack wrappers with a wrinkled nose.

Way too many chips and drinks were consumed yesterday. He stubbornly bats cans into the trash bag. like a strange game of hockey. Smack all the soda cans! Defeat this trash! ]

spooky time

[ Later, Kaiba retreats to the gym, where he can be seen with a sleek black disk mounted on his arm. He places various cards on it, projecting images ranging from Summoned Skull, to Witch of the Black Forest, to one that's personal to him, Saggi the Dark Clown. Each time he places a card, that monster appears as a hologram, cycling through a spooky idle animation.

He paces around each hologram, trying to imagine how he'll best use them for Della's Halloween haunts. ]

...too much? Or not enough?

sad time

[ Kaiba's still messing with the duel disk on his arm in the gym once the area is mostly empty, but the last card he summons isn't all that spooky. It's Blue Eyes White Dragon, his faithful friend, as imposing and beautiful as ever.

His expression is somber as he regards her. ]

Only the most powerful duelist in the world deserves to duel beside you. Didn't I say that once? You're a champion, not a loser.

[ He steps closer, head bowed, his voice a whisper. He shouldn't say these things, they scream against every instinct he's cultivated for so long...but those lost familiar faces, and the spike of disappointment he felt facing them yesterday?

His voice is tightly controlled, his fists clenched. ]

You deserve better. No, the best.

SAD TIME...

[luckydragonsfoot]

[Katsuya seems to have the Uncanny growing ability to be in just the right place at the right time for things like this these days. Probably to balance out all the times he can't predict, which end in him being in the Worst place at the Worst time.

But anyway.] Uhhhhhhh....

[Here he is, standing in the doorway.] Kaiba?

...Th' hell you doin'?

Lord El-Melloi II | blue team | ota

[fionnuisce]

[This was not, by any stretch of the imagination, the worst he had ever felt.]

[But it was definitely top five. Maybe top three, if he really weighed the options--which he seemed to be doing a lot of, for how quiet he was. Waver spent a good deal of time in the kitchen; blue's task was meal prep this month, and while he did absolutely none of the actual cooking he seemed entirely competent with a knife. If anyone needed chopped or sliced ingredients, then they'd sure as hell have them in advance.]

[Otherwise, he'd be offering a hand for cleanup; circling around was a wireframe bird about the size of a crow, its rudimentary and simplified shape glowing very faintly and helping to carry folded blankets that had formerly been covering the windows.]

[...Every so often he'd pause and look out the windows as if expecting or hoping to see anything--and when nothing was there except 'nothing', he would simply tap his fingers restlessly on the handle of his cane and scowl to himself.]

[Top three, easily.]

[blitzcheer]

Eesh, I think we're all waiting for them to come back.

[ It's a comment made upon catching the man looking out of the window, into the void. A void as mystifying and bizarre as always, but of the more 'comforting' sort. Especially after yesterday.

As for Tidus, and despite what he says, he's trying to ignore the windows. An earpiece in one ear, a frown pressed into his lips. ]

That isn't something that usually happens around here.

[ For what it's worth. If it helps any. ]

Cassie Cage | OTA

[nutkrusher]

Cassie finds herself in various places once she's certain that the apparitions are gone and that her mother is in an acceptable state. Apart from the obvious working out and training in the gym, and taking notes around the armory between loads of laundry, she'll also spend some time in the passenger car and quiet car, seated cross-legged and meditating.

She wouldn't mind being interrupted by the right person, though.

Re: Cassie Cage | OTA

[light_of_willpower]

Their paths had crossed, after helping her mother and other friends, occasionally while doing laundry or training in the gym. But they hadn't really spent any time together that hadn't been part of dealing with the visions/apparitions, or chores. Which meant Trunks went looking, because he wanted to spend time with her that wasn't training for once. Maybe they'd check out the VR game in the games car.

He's in the train-uniform, cleaned up from his own round of chores and training, and smiles when he does find her. Knocking on the glass of the quiet car, as a polite interruption.

Minako Aino

[loveandduty]

[Minako yawned slightly. With everything that had happened Minako had found herself having fallen asleep during it. Only now had she started to wake up and grumpily start to slowly make her way over.

When she finally arrived she started to look around to see what there was and rubbing her eyes sleepily.]

Hey... Did I miss much when I fell asleep. I know I was seeing people, but curious if anything else happened?

Re: Minako Aino

[soldier_blade]

[She'd been cleaning the kitchen car all day and needed a shower, or sleep-whichever came first. Even with things back to normal, she could tell everyone was jumpy and trying to get back to some semblance of normality.]

It was enough. [She frowned, seeing the girl wake up. She did notice some had fallen asleep next to windows or the tables, but if it was to do with the event or genuine fatigue she couldn't be sure.]

OTA

[light_of_willpower]

Chores
Purple had laundry this month, and Trunks didn't mind it. It was more primitive than what he was used to, but so what? Currently he was hanging wet garments and linens on the drying lines. Wet clothing could be heavy, but he didn't mind it.

If he's not upstairs in the laundry, Trunks can be found helping out with cleaning up in the kitchen. Again, not his assigned chore but he feels responsible, since he eats a lot, to help out.

Around the train
Trunks will spend some time checking on friends, since he was lucky enough to avoid the worst effects of this storm. He can also be found primarily in the training gym. But even he can only train so much, so you might catch him around the train near the library, cinema, or games cars.

OTA

[dreamtamer]

[ Guilmon was good at fighting and digging and breathing fire at things. None of these were very helpful when it came to helping clean.

Any other day, all that meant that he might have been satisfied to take a nap while Takato was out doing other things around the train. But... after seeing Takato almost lost to the voices the day before, all he wanted was to stay close. What if the voices came back again?

And so after helping with some of Orange team's chores, the two of them had eventually ended up curled up together in the Standard Car's seats, where they'd drifted off for a nap.]

[ramengroupie]

Hm?

[ Laundry is not Orange Team's job this month. But keeping the rooms straightened is. Ken would feel odd touching other people's bedding, but Wormmon had webbed his up a little, so he and his partner are returning from the laundry car with a freshly-dried blanket....

When they see a nostalgic sight. Ken and Wormmon share a smile.

And, after a moment's hesitation, tuck their blanket around Takato and Guilmon. ]

Masumi Sera | Purple Team | OTA

[tactlesstantei]

Masumi was feeling better after the events of the previous day, and knew that the void storm was over, but was clearly still uneasy around the windows as she went about helping with laundry. She can be found running the dirty linens to the laundry room, doing her best to maneuver through the train with her load.

Or alternatively, she shows up at your cabin to collect anything that needs washing, knocking on the door and waiting to see if anyone answers.

Either way, she's trying to push past what happened during the void storm.]

[singlefaith]

[Ran is doing some recovery of her own, similarly avoiding windows and keeping as determinedly busy as possible. She may have been a little brisk in securing that last load of dirty bedsheets in her arms -- may or may not have tried to get them while someone was still getting out of their bunk, shhh. She has to keep busy.]

[Dropping off her fourth? fifth? armload of sheets in the laundry area, she twists to rob other hapless victims of their bed linens . . . and runs right into Sera, not having realized that anyone was behind her.

A-Ah, sorry!!