[Open]

[secretmakesawoman]

Who: [Sharon and you? Open]
Where: [Any sleeping carriage]
When: [The Month of Horseshoe, after the Voidstorm]
What: [Sharon is getting around to chores! And also wants to see what she can discover in people's bedrooms.]
Warnings: [Snooping and maybe thievery? It is Vermouth, so trouble is plausible. Will update if need be.]

The dust may have metaphorically settled on the odd visions everyone saw, but there is still certainly a lot of mess around the train. Vermouth normally wouldn't bother with such things, given her status as an actress and the Boss's favorite. However, it occurred to her that going through with Orange Team's chores this time might offer some unique bonuses.

1. Helping out around the train might make the other passengers trust her more.

2. Cleaning bedrooms would be a rare chance to check for intel on said fellow passengers. Perhaps nothing blackmail worthy, but it'd be at least a start.

And so, random folks around the train will hear a knock on their sleeper door. If they bother to open it, they will find Sharon standing there, looking as attractive as ever (or as attractive as one can in an orange polo and hoodie)... but with a bucket of cleaning supplies.

"Hello there. Is this a good time?"

Comments

[tactlesstantei]

[Masumi is quick to answer the knock on the door to cabin 1-C, and equally quick to step out of Sharon's way on seeing the bucket of cleaning supplies.]

"It's fine, you can come in. I'm the only one in here right now." [She has no problem with letting her clean and no real reason to be suspicious of her reasons, so she's not going to watch her too closely.]

[secretmakesawoman]

[Well well well. Isn't this something. Sure, Vermouth already learned what she wanted to know about Sera back on the Bell Tree Express. But perhaps there was something more she could learn, who knows? And she could always look into Sera's roommates.]

[Sharon smiles as she steps inside.]

Why thank you, Sera. How are you holding up?

[tactlesstantei]

“Pretty well, but I’ll admit that the void storm rattled me a bit. I wasn’t expecting to see my family out there.”

[It’s an understatement, given how she’d taken being duped into believing the illusions of the void, but it’s not something she’s willing to just drop on someone in full, so the understatement version it is.

In the meantime she stands in the doorway, staying out of Sharon’s way in the tiny room while remaining nearby to talk. If she was to poke around Masumi’s bunk, all she’ll really find besides the standard train clothes are the four books she recently bought and a distinctive blue hat. Nothing that would reveal too much.]

1/2

[secretmakesawoman]

Ah yes, Masumi's family... Her back turned, Sharon's smile turns dark. How determined they had been to court death.

...But of course, 'Sharon' barely knows Sera, let alone her family situation, so her more vindictive thoughts are kept locked away. Secret and hidden.

2/2

[secretmakesawoman]

"Oh, of course. I'm sure it was quite rough," she days in a sympathetic tone. "You must miss them, being separated like this."

'Course as far as Vermouth knows, they were be separated regardless. A far more permanent kind. But that doesn't mean she can't act concerned... for now.

Meanwhile, she is getting a closer look at those books under the guise of dusting.

[tactlesstantei]

“Yeah. At least I’ll get to see my mom and Kichi-nii again once this is done.” [She could look forward to that, getting to see what was left of her family again on getting to go home.

The books are four mystery books, and while two (a Night Baron novel and a Detective Samonji novel) seem to be normal books from their world, the remaining two appear to be off versions of a Nancy Drew book and The Hound of the Baskervilles. Masumi is so caught in thinking about her family and the void storm that she doesn’t notice that Vermouth is looking.]

Cabin 1:D

[iamnotgod]

Vermouth may or may not recognize the digital face and robotic frame from around the train; for his part, for Conan's sake, Webmind keeps any suspicion well off his face.

Pity 'good fences make good neighbors' doesn't make any sense on this train, Webmind thinks to himself with some amusement.

"I was just finishing up in this room, though you are of course welcome to take your turn."

He shrugs, moving enough out of the way for Sharon to see the utterly inoffensive room - cleaned of cat fur, certainly, though if she wants to be sure of much else she'll have to step inside.

"We are on the same team, after all."

Cabin 1:D

[secretmakesawoman]

Ahh... an inconvenience.

'Recognize' might be the wrong word for it. Certainly, Vermouth had a sharp eye and had seen the robotic passenger before, but she barely knew anything about him — having mostly kept her distance this past month. It helped her sort her thoughts in this strange environment... and also look for potential loopholes in her agreement with Cool Guy.

However, if Vermouth was going to be here much longer, she would have to get to know her fellow passengers much better. They could be potential allies... or disguises, should she get her kit here.

For her credit, she doesn't barge into the room, though she does peer in as Webmind makes room. That would be a bad look, too suspicious. Better to take what she can and accept a few losses here and there.

"That is quite alright." She smiles lightly, a neutral yet disarming look... though it doesn't quite match her sharp eyes. "These chores are meant to be a team effort. And you are...?"

Just a fellow teammate looking to meet new folks, yup yup. Nothing worrying at all.

Re: Cabin 1:D

[iamnotgod]

So she is not interested? Ah- a reluctant draw, perhaps.

Webmind can work with that.

"I am Webmind; I don't suppose you have heard me over the Network this month?"

Because there is such a thing as being too much of a shut-in, on this train. Much as other passengers complained about the broadcasts at potentially all hours, Webmind does not quite share that perspective; the noise gets everywhere, eventually.

Picking things up that way isn't all that strange - much as it would be, say, Inigo's nightmare.

Re: Cabin 1:D

[secretmakesawoman]

Got it in one. Though it is a less reluctant draw than her fellow members would be. Vermouth at least knows when to call it quits.

"I suppose I might have," she says slowly, lingering on the words. Actually Vermouth is quite certain she has heard him, since although she had refrained from making any broadcasts herself, she did listen closely to what others had to say. Not that she intended to make it obvious. Vermouth adds glibly, "Though I doubt it was during one of the many requests for games."

Re: Cabin 1:D

[iamnotgod]

With a to-him exaggerated shrug, Webmind takes the opportunity to come out of the room entirely, door sliding closed.

Fortunately there's no one left in there to get trapped.

"That does seem to happen with some frequency - you weren't here for some of the more protracted discussion posts; some question-and-answer sessions could go on for hours."

Cabin 2:A

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin is standing in his cabin, pulling on his jacket and getting ready for the day when he hears a knock on the door. He opens it immediately and there is Sharon.

"Ah. . . I suppose so. Hey, we're both on Team Orange but we haven't met officially. I'm Curufin Fëanorion. I was just going to head out to get cleaning supplies and work on our team chores. Want to team up on that?" He smiles brightly.

Cabin 2:A

[secretmakesawoman]

Ah, another Orange Team member throwing a wrench into her plans.

Sharon's smile flickers for only a moment, but then it's back.

"How nice of you to offer, Curufin," she offers warmly. No really, so nice. How ironic that the nice, helpful ones keep getting in her way. "But are you sure that would be the most efficient way to clean?"

[so_dark_a_road]

Protecting his cabin, is more like it. Not that he knows Sharon's plans, but he does normally clean his own cabin before any other team gets the chance to do it. Those swords and daggers under his mattress might have something to do with it.

He smiles at her. "I often do my chores by myself, but really, it's a lot more fun when it's two or more people working at it together. There's joking and laughter and friendly competition, and that makes the time go by quickly and the tasks seem lighter."

[secretmakesawoman]

That is probably a smart idea. But consider: why not share the blades with Sharon?

Her smile fades to an almost confused frown. "You want to make a game out of chores?"

Sure, Vermouth had used a playful attitude towards her objectives in the Organization, but this was Sharon here, a well-to-do actress who rarely did chores. "Wouldn't that just create distractions and take more time?"

[so_dark_a_road]

Sharing the blades with Sharon might be a possibility! He's loaned them out to others in the past. He even gave away one set. If the topic somehow comes up, he'll consider the idea.

"Why not make a game out of chores? They're tedious, but so much less so when shared."

He smiles again. "I'm pretty focused, in everything I do, including chores. If I have some people with me who want to play around, I will cheerfully participate, but I'll also be efficient and really hustle to get the chores done. I can do both at once."

He considers. "Want to team up with me on some of these chores? We could start with this cabin, after we go and get the cleaning supplies."

Cabin 2C

[schrodingersghost]

Danny opens the door.

"Cleaning time, huh? Well,I guess you can come in. Everyone else is out right now."

And he steps back into the room. As he passes by his bunk, which had a laptop sitting on it, he scoops up a battered metal thermos and attaches it to his belt.

Cabin 2C

[secretmakesawoman]

Oh Danny, words could not describe how foolish it was to tell her that. ...Or at least, it wouldn't be, under normal circumstances. For the time being, Vermouth doesn't have the kit to knock him out without detection. Ah... shame.

She enters the room, smiling pleasantly. "Why, thank you. I hope it's not too much of an imposition."

Vermouth's gaze hits that laptop as she watches Danny. Her mind's already racing with ideas of how to get a moment alone with it. For now, she'll have to improvise.

In Danny's defense, standard knockout techniques *probably* wouldn't work

[schrodingersghost]

"Hey, no problem. I wasn't really doing anything anyway." He hops up on his bed long enough to stow the thermos in his storage cubby. "Anything I can do to help?"

It wasn't his team's turn to clean, but he wasn't exactly opposed to helping out a bit.

*Probably* means there's a slight chance she could still pull it off

[secretmakesawoman]

This seems like a prime opportunity to get some alone time in this room. Specifically with that laptop.

"You're too kind," she says pleasantly, putting down the supplies. After a beat, Sharon picks the bucket back up again and holds it out. "Actually, would you mind refilling this with water? It seems to have run low from earlier rooms."

Eh, half-ghost biology is weird. Theres always a chance she tries something that works

[schrodingersghost]

Danny sees nothing suspicious about this.

"Oh, sure. No problem!." He jumps off his bunk, landing unusually lightly on the floor, and picks up the bucket. "I'll be back in a minute," he calls as he leaves.

If this is ok?

[mtsilver_conquor]

"Yeah-" There's actually a grateful look from Eva when she opens the door. "Can you help me find his monsterball?"

There is a nod towards the upper right bunk (that's not her's), where the Smuggest Fluff of a clefairy that ever did Smug loafs. Princess looks quite pleased with himself. "I'd like to get the cabin cleaned of fur for once, and I can't do that if I can't recall him."

By the end of it, it's clear she's been trying to find the missing pokeball for a while.

Re: If this is ok?

[secretmakesawoman]

Okay, Vermouth certainly wasn't expecting a request like that.

Sharon gives a long, possibly hard stare at the place where Princess sat, clearly trying to get a read on what kind of creature he was. Nothing she knew of quite fit.

But that doesn't mean she can't be polite. After all, while this wasn't what Vermouth had in mind, a reason to search the room is exactly what she had been looking for.

"I can certainly try. What does it look like?"

[mtsilver_conquor]

Princess stares back for several seconds before making himself more at home with a chirp as he seemingly ignores the women. Or, more like the dirty look Eva throws at him, but details.

"Thanks," Eva says as she steps back to allow the woman entry into the Cabin. At the same time, she unhooks the premierball from her belt and offers it up for inspection. "Like this, only red and white."

[secretmakesawoman]

Sharon gives a very slight smile at the disinterested reaction.

Stepping into the room, she takes a moment to set the cleaning supplies down in the corner, out of the way. That handled, she looks closely at said monster ball.

"I see." While there was still a fair amount of variation that such a vague description could hint at, she has a size and rough colors. That should be enough to work with. "Where should we begin?"