Talking to walls... and doors. Partially OTA, See headers.

[najaran]

Who: Najaran and Glorfindel and Minako and Webmind and OPEN (See headers)
What: A very... Najaran... way of trying to communicate with the train.
Where: Starting at luggage, going as close to the engines as they can get. And since she isn't alone, she won't be lost this time. Also, there might be signs!
When: Forward dated to Saturday the 19th
Warnings: possible violence mentions. Thread headers will contain other CW if needed.



Najaran was still upset about how they had been pulled back the mission before last. And didn't want to wear the device that could do that to her again. But Duo had gotten so angry at her... And she realized that she had to make peace with the train. And she knew how to do that....

Or so she thought.

After all, when someone wanted to make peace it was best to do that with a feast, right? And they had tons of crab and other seafood now... And she was dying to try to figure out how to make crab cakes...

Comments

Some time later...

[iamnotgod]

Webmind had noticed the signs with bemusement, but let them pass without comment.

The food brigade, however, would not pass without comment.

"Is there something I can help you with?" he asked, voice calm as always.

And, "That is a lot of food you are carrying, even for the three of you."

Re: Some time later...

[najaran]

"Sure! You can help carry!" she said, cheerfully. She was meeting all sorts of interesting people that looked like cards on this train. If not for a few key aspects, she'd be having a great time here.

Re: Some time later...

[iamnotgod]

Webmind nodded, moving forward to start taking his share of crabcakes to carry.

"Is there anything else involved with being part of this entourage?"

There would have been a pause before that last word, but that seemed a little too on the edge of rude to him.

Re: Some time later...

[najaran]

"I just need the help carrying while I make my offerings."

Re: Some time later...

[iamnotgod]

"Offerings?"

Webmind managed to sound genuinely surprised without changing his expression.

"I cannot say I have seen anyone do precisely that before..."

Maybe that meant it was worth trying. Covering all their bases, if nothing else.

"Though I have also not been on this train very long, either."

Re: Some time later...

[najaran]

"Who wouldn't want to come out and talk if offered yummy food?"

Re: Some time later...

[iamnotgod]

This time Webmind just had to stare at her.

"Not all beings need food; even if it appreciates the gesture, it may have no use for it itself."

He's not letting go of the food, though.

Re: Some time later...

[najaran]

"But... food is WONDERFUL! The taste, the aroma, the sight, the sounds it makes when it is cooking..." She licked her lips, getting hungry just thinking about it.

Re: Some time later...

[iamnotgod]

Webmind got the feeling this disconnect went deeper than he could bridge.

"Not everyone has more than an aesthetic appreciation for food, Najaran," he explained, not unkindly.

Re: Some time later...

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel shook his head at the exchange. Najaran's opinion on food boarded on obsession, so it made sense to her, and it harmed no one, in his opinion, so he was there to help carry things and be supportive.

"Cannot hurt to try," he said. "Nothing else has worked so far." He smiled at Webmind, as he hadn't spoken to him in a few days.

Re: Some time later...

[najaran]

"Then maybe they just haven't found something yummy enough yet!"she gave them both a bright smile.

[iamnotgod]

Webmind looked to Glorfindel, holding back from displaying a 'shrugging' emoticon since Najaran could still see his screen and he was in no mood to be passive-aggressive.

"How will we know when the train has registered the gift, then?"

He joined the (not nearly as literal) train of food carriers.

"It reacts to some inputs immediately, but how soon could we estimate it noticing this? Should we check back along our path after the 'nightly' reset, or sooner?"

[najaran]

"Hopefully someone will just start talking to us, either the train itself or someone on its behalf. But... it's yummy food we're leaving out. Even if this doesn't work, there won't be any left by tomorrow." Rule one of yummy food left unattended: someone will always eat it.

[laurefindil]

"You think the Train will realize that the food is being left for it?" Glorfindel asked.

He sympathized with Webmind. This was an odd idea. On the other hand, nothing else was working, so perhaps going a lttle outside the norm might work. He certainly saw no harm in it.

[najaran]

"Should I try speaking louder?"

Clearly... that was the issue.

[laurefindil]

"Somehow, I don't think that is the issue. Though, maybe if we were closer to the ICPs?" Glorfindel suggested.

[najaran]

"Okay! We can try that if you think it might help!"

[iamnotgod]

"I shall turn the nearest ICP on, then."

Regardless of what carriage they were in, there always seemed to be one around - at least one consistency with home!

Inserting his ticket without trouble even given his current armload of food, he announced, "This should do. Will the starting screen be enough, or should I access a specific page?"

Such as the actual Feedback and Suggestions post.

[najaran]

"I... don't know. Gremlin usually helps me with the odd talking things," she admitted.

[iamnotgod]

Webmind decided to take initiative, opening the Feedback & Suggestions page and setting input to 'voice'.

"Go ahead, then. It should hear what you say - though whether it responds, I cannot say," he added, followed by a 'heh'.

Let him have his verbal play.

[najaran]

She gave him a bit of a smile at that, then nodded. She lifted the food high then set it before the unit and bowed. "Train, or if the Train is controlled or spoken for by someone... We offer this food in peace so that we might talk and feast together! Please! Speak with us!"

[iamnotgod]

There was a momentary pause.

"'Thank you for your feedback,' it says," Webmind voiced.

"Though if it has any other actions in store, there's no way for us to know as of yet."

[najaran]

"So we'll have to just keep trying!"

[laurefindil]

Glorfindel smiled, amazed at Webmind's easy familiarity with the ICP. Not surprised, just amazed. That would not have occurred to him. "Shall we do this in each car until the end?" he asked.

[najaran]

"Sure! And if we have other ideas we can try all sorts of things," she said, happily.