[Semi-open] But you'll never see the price it costs- the scars collected all their lives

[mtsilver_conquor]

Who: Eva + YOU!
What Nightmares and breaking points.
Where 3C, Kitchen, Game Car, and Quite Car.
When Night Egret 26
Warnings PTSD mentions, mentioned past death, blatant talk of what a realistic pokemon world's like.


Cabin 3C (Closed to Cabinmates- tag as you please thread.)
"NO-!" That is very much a strangled yell as Eva sits bolt upright, eyes wide as her heart pounds in her ears. "Not real-"

Because it's not. She knows what's happened. Nightmare. But that doesn't magically make the fact she's sweety go away, nor stop the ragged breaths, or the glances at cabin mates to check that yes, it was simply a rather bloody dream. They're still alive. Misa. Nerdanel. Feanor. Princess in his pokeball. They're alive. That means Peter. Kaito. Little One. Kaiba. The rest of the train.

The friends she's made and those she thinks of as family. They are alive and not dead or dying or hurt or hostages or or or-

This isn't Lavender Tower. Not Silph Co. This isn't that hysterical, blood and tear-stained night Fluffy came into her possession-

Hands clench blankets -sleeping bag- and knuckles go white. "There's blankets under me. Not rock..."

She curls up and tries to keep the sob from escaping. She really, really does. But she does anyway because under everything? she's scared and terrified and her mum isn't a teleport away.


OPEN: Kitchen or Game Car
a/ Kitchen
Somehow she manages to abscond to the kitchen.

Tea is good. Tea is the best at soothing nightmare shaken nerves, even if it's gone cold, and she's not really drinking it so much as she is staring at it, face blank and hollow. For all of Eva's optimism and generally sunny personality, she has been through hell and back and it shows.

She hates it.

Mostly, Eva's not sure how to handle this because her support network isn't here, and there are parts - many, many, many parts- of her world she's not comfortable with talking about with people who wouldn't understand.

"Four, grant me strength..."

b/ Game's Car
At some point, she leaves the kitchen with a thermos of tea, grabs one of the cloaks she burrowed (stole) from the aborted mission, and retreats into a beanbag. Princess is curled up on her lap, and Eva looks- Lost.

Lost, unsure. Not at all like her normal self. The quiet confidence she carries herself with is shattered for now. But, that doesn't stop her from trying to put a smile on her face should anyone approach her.

"Hey. Couldn't sleep too?"


Quiet carriage (Closed to Garret)
Eventually, though, Eva retreats to one of the quiet cabins, where she curls up in on herself. She has... a lot to think about. She'd been more open this night about the brutality of her world than she'd like.

She's not sure how to deal with it.

Thankfully, there's no more tears, but it doesn't mean she can't get lost in thoughts. Enough so that she jerks when the door opens. "Uh - Oh. Garret-san?"

She tried to offer him a smile, but honestly? she just looks tired. Tired and drained.

Comments

[unfavorableinstigation]

"Mementos," Nita says softly.

Her own Manual was full of them, even if they hadn't been intended that way. Stored messages, conversations that couldn't be continued here...

"Well, whenever you want to try for it, for Roro, I'll help, okay? You can count on that."

The tea was doubtless cold by now, but it wasn't as important as this.

[mtsilver_conquor]

"Yeah...and masturbation stuff. If he was here, I'd sate the urge but he's not."

As soon as she's said that, Eva literally flushes bright red. She's asexual as all hell yet she does have (stupid, unwanted) needs once in a green moon, but now is so not the time to bring it up.

Especially around a minor.

"Gods. I- I'm sorry, that was inappropriate."

I have no Perfect Icon for this. .-. Sadness.

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita actually freezes when Eva says that, a blush rising on her own face.

Sputtering, she replies, "Ah, n-nevermind, it's n-not a p-p-problem."

Then she laughs, though there's barely sound. "At least you were honest?"

/pats

[mtsilver_conquor]

"Y-Yeah... I...I'm ace, if that means anything. So's my boyfriend- Biology sucks."

She's even redder now, and cold tea or not, she's drinking it in one go.

"Ah- Yes. I'd-I'd like to try and get Roro myself, but if I can't... I... I wouldn't let you keep the 'ball though. I'd need to get a spare before I allowed the science people to look at anything like that."

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita's lips quirk into a smile. "On that, we can agree. I don't think I'm asexual, though. Or at least, I don't know."

It's not something she's considered much - she'd only just learned asexuality was a thing barely two months ago, for crying out loud! - but it would explain some things.

That, or heteronormativity was just a hell of a drug. That could be true, too.

"And that's fine. Really, it is. Probably easier to arrange getting a spare here, too, for what it's worth."

[mtsilver_conquor]

Eva nods with an understanding smile -it took her years to figure out, herself-, but she leaves that topic alone for now.

"Probably, but building or even maintaining them is a highly specialized profession, even if they're mostly factory-build these days, and if they break it, they wouldn't be able to put it back together."

She huffs. "I'd rather Roro and my team first, anyway. Then quickheals or at least the berry-fruits."

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita nods. Even if she doesn't own any 'balls herself, she can understand the principle of the matter.

"... We could probably grow the berries in the garden - well, greenhouse; I've seen that one be pulled off before."

Morty had made one, in Nautilus. Just another of the consequences of that particular Reality Storm.

"Once we start getting them, anyway." Sustainability is good.

[mtsilver_conquor]

Eva nodes with a hum.

"As long as there's a pot, they can be grown anywhere. The quick ones would probably be best, assuming they're planted as the berry-fruit, and not the seed. We'd have the bush-trees in days, not weeks, and if we use the fruit to make more, we'd have enough up and running within two weeks for the whole train."

Wait. Problem- "The impossible part would be stopping Princess and Bitsy and any other mons from eating them."

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita follows along, mentally ticking off the things they'd need to do, then-

"Charlotte might help us there, especially if she hears they're supposed to be ingredients, not just food in their own right!"

[mtsilver_conquor]

Eva nods. "Ingredients for so many things, from salads to soups to drinks- I kill for an oran-obon smoothie- and I think if we get enough oban growing, we could make salves. Not as good as potions or stuff, but it'd be something."

A pause, then. "We'd need to make bags - boxes- to carry the berry-fruits around. No subpace tech here."

Maybe she should look at getting her trainer bag and a spare...?

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita looks once again thoughtful.

"Well, we do have all those empty rucksacks in the Luggage car. We could probably retrofit those or one of the suitcases if it needs to be custom."

The train provides - at least some things!

[mtsilver_conquor]

"We probably could. Though I wonder if I could get a berry bag..."

Something to consider at least.

[unfavorableinstigation]

"Filled with berries, or just by itself?"

This could probably count as a test of the shop system, too - Nita had been theorizing about such a thing a while back.

[mtsilver_conquor]

"Likely just by itself," Eva huffs. "But it'd be useful, though it's not on my most urgent things to get."

Want Nita to buy it for her anyway? She's certainly got the points now.

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita nods. "Depends on how many points we end up with, I guess."

And they don't really have control over that.

If you want? Though it might have to wait until next month /slow

[mtsilver_conquor]

"Exactly. I'm aiming for my phone at least. If I can get it, at least one of my pokemon."

She misses her team.

Consider it noted, then!

[unfavorableinstigation]

"That'll help," Nita concludes.

In multiple ways.

In the meantime...

"Uh, Eva, I think our tea's gone cold. Want me to make you something fresh?"

[mtsilver_conquor]

Eva flashes as cheeky a grin as she can muster. Talking has helped, but the reason she's up is still on her brain.

That said, she glances down at the mug then back at Nita. "If you'd like. I'm not going to say not to more tea. Though, decaff please, if you will, Nita-chan."

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita steps back, to head towards the kitchen counters again, giving a thumbs-up.

"One decaf, coming up!" she says.

But the companionship is more important than the warmth, she thinks.

[mtsilver_conquor]

Worth more than the tea, and Eva's eyes track Nita, watchful and alert, but given the nature of her nightmare, it's no wonder.

"Thank you. Maybe after I get my phone, I should see about some berry-fruits. Oban tea is to die for."

[unfavorableinstigation]

"Oban? What kind of flavor is it?"

It's not something Nita's had before, but she wouldn't say no with to description like that.

[mtsilver_conquor]

"The peel of an unrip obon berry-fruit. Sickly sour, but great with honey. The fruit itself is is bitter and often used in herbal stuff."

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita thinks over that one, then nods.

"Bitter's good for that, yeah. ... Wait, do we have honey?"

Forgive her, if they happen to have some; she may have just forgotten.

[mtsilver_conquor]

"I don't know. I don't use it often."

Truth, that. Honey's great, but it's not an everyday staple for Eva.

[unfavorableinstigation]

Nita shrugs.

"If we find it on a world, you can bet we'll stock up, anyway."

If it's allowed, or doesn't crush the local ecosystem...