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[espigeonage]

The Train to STE Meme (SPOILERS for canon deaths)


You know those Train to the Afterlife memes? In STE the canon versions of all our characters are dead. What if there was a train bearing their spirits on to reincarnation here?

This is a meme where canon versions of the characters can interact. They all know they're dead. They may or may not remember just how they died, or how they got to be on this particular train. Doesn't matter if they'll be born decades apart - that just means some people disembark a little earlier than others. Go over brochures about what your new incarnation will be like, spontaneously turn or be human, try the snack cart, fail to convince the friendly but very busy conductor to give you a transfer, or simply chat.

You just can't stop the train, or leave it. Not yet.

Comments

[icy_heavens]

[It's not something that shinigami typically fear, and he never had. It's what happens. It's a cycle, even for many shinigami themselves. Though for them it takes longer.

[He'd be angry, he'd wonder at this process being the wrong one, but it's a waste. Why bother? It's not his own death that disturbs him, honestly. There are other people to worry about, that he's not sure will be along with him in the new life. That, and being separated from his zanpakutou. Again.

[But let it not be said that he keeps himself ill-informed, even if the knowledge will be lost later. Besides, what else is there to do but read the information? His eyebrow lifts at some of it. Honestly. Does he have to be such a brat? This kid better make sure he gets his act together; some of this crap is embarrassing.]

[dangerouslyinlove]

Are those brochures about where we're going? [Ryoji's peering over to look at the boy-- who he's pretty sure isn't as young as he looks, thanks to power senses being on now-- regarding the papers in his hand. He's been too excited about the prospect to even thinking about what they're getting into.]

[icy_heavens]

[It's impossible to miss that reiatsu. Strong enough to make him look up from his reading, though he at least filters it through his senses to avoid any unpleasant headaches. Nothing familiar about the other, despite that powerful presence. He'd have noticed if he'd come across this person before.]

... They are.

[dangerouslyinlove]

[Grumpy as this guy might appear to be, Ryoji's nothing but cheer and smiles.] Where did you get them? I'm curious to see where we're gonna end up.

[icy_heavens]

[... What exactly is there to be so happy about? This may be an inevitability, but it's hardly something to be so thrilled over. He doesn't understand this enthusiasm.

[Offhandedly, he gestures in the direction from which he boarded.] Should be able to find it near the entrance. Look for your name; they're personalized.

[As only makes sense. There's at least some organization here.]

[dangerouslyinlove]

[Well, him being dead has some good implications for his world as a whole. Also because he may or may not have asked his girlfriend to kill them and she didn't.]

Oh! I guess I missed that, huh? [He'll go and get his before coming back and sitting down near the death god again.]

[icy_heavens]

[To be fair, he has kind of a difficult time understanding enthusiasm in general. That kind of bouncy cheerfulness . . . just isn't him and he doesn't know how so many people get there.

[He goes back to reading while the other is gone -- with a just a grandmother again, hm? Well, he hadn't any complaints about that this time around, so that's fine. Some things just don't change, he supposes . . .

[And now he's back. Why is he back?] Was there something else? [He'd gotten you to go away. Why are you ruining this?]

[dangerouslyinlove]

Hm? [Ryoji looks up from his brochure-- he has actual parents this time!!!-- over at the boy.] No, not really!

[icy_heavens]

[Hitsugaya is a bit more concerned about this future threat they'll be facing than he is about the idea of parents, though evidently his future self will vaguely remember his father. Which is more than he can say for this life, even if he'd never bothered wondering much about his parents. Would've been disrespectful to Granny.

[But just . . . these people are a disorganized mess and his future self is doing nothing to put them in line. Miracle so many of them are surviving this long. Must be the few times they manage to pull their heads out of their asses.

[He would . . . ask why this boy is still here, if there's nothing else, but that's essential repeating his question and he refuses to repeat himself. So he just shrugs.] Nevermind.

[hollowleg]

[There's a familiar face. Zangetsu gets up and sits a seat down from Hitsugaya, legs spread wide. He picks his nose for a second before flicking the booger into the aisle]

A familiar face, at least. I don't sense Hyorinmaru. I guess Shinigami are split up from their Zanpakutou when they kick the bucket, huh?

[icy_heavens]

[Judgemental eyebrow goes up at that flicking. Disgusting.]

So it would seem. [That's probably the part of this that makes him the most uncomfortable. He's had Hyourinmaru for far longer than he hasn't. It's strange, and it's wrong.]

[hollowleg]

[ur face is disgusting >:T]

You'd think we'd have our own circulation desk, so ta speak. Zanpakutou ain't human souls, after all. But nope. Here I am. Same place as your tiny grouchy ass.

[icy_heavens]

[If zanpakutou souls can wind up here too, Hitsugaya has to wonder how he's wound up stuck talking to Kurosaki's instead of his own. It would have been much less annoying to be here with Hyourinmaru.] It's not precisely the most organized state of affairs.

And I am not being "grouchy". [He'd take issue with the word "tiny", but that seems too much like a trap, to be honest. A little frown as he glances back down at the brochure for a second. Oh, terrific. He had to die to be able to get taller. That doesn't even make sense.]

[hollowleg]

[because the universe hates them. HATES ALL OF THEM. Though if Hyorinmaru were here, the train might freeze... Instead there's just this nose-picking asshole] You'd think as organized as the afterlife is, this reincarnation shit would go as smooth as silk! Then again, I guess the world of souls isn't that organized, hehehe.

You're always grouchy. It's your default setting, teeny-taichou. Own it. [Zangetsu sneakily grabs Toshirou's brochure] Ooh look, you get to be taller!

[icy_heavens]

[You say "frozen train" like it's a bad thing. Hitsugaya would find that quite comfortable, thank you. Certainly far preferable to this hell.]

No. It isn't. [Apathy is his default setting. Any grouchiness is the fault of nonsense on the part of people around him. Just because people pull a lot of nonsense when he's around doesn't make the annoyed state his default. That's his logic and he's sticking with it.

[He makes a grab for the brochure when Zangetsu snatches it, but misses. Yes, that gets a scowl. One that deepens at the pronouncement. What he gets is to be a mouthy brat who's lucky his stunts haven't gotten him killed all over again.] Return that.

[He doesn't need this asshole reading some of the nonsense that's in there.]

[hollowleg]

[Not everyone is more comfortable at subzero temperatures, tiny-taichou. In fact, most of the people on this train would probably agree.

Zangetsu shrugs dramatically] You are SO in denial! It ain't just a river in Egypt!

[Nope. In fact, Zangetsu stands up in the seat so that the brochure is faaar out of shorty's reach. Just to be safe, he uses his tail to shove him away. He squints] Seems a little mundane, don't it?

Assuming this is later on in the ride.

[songoftimaendtimeagain]

[As more and more people get off, the Hero's Shade finds his anticipation growing. Returning to his youth was a blessing truly, this time, but it's in his nature to worry. One of the few other remaining passengers is deceptively small, but this ghost warrior has seen more than his share of immortal and ageless children and he can see the signs. He looks displeased, and given that they're both still on this train so late makes Shade think that this boy might understand some of his own apprehension.]

It appears we are both to be returned to a true youth. We will have much to relearn.

[icy_heavens]

[Understand it? Perhaps. But not share it, not specifically, even if he's a bit antsy to get to a place where he can truly move. This kid he would become is going to need to force it to keep up with everyone else. There's no time for nonsense.]

And less time to do it in than many of the rest.