Well that was Strange

[knifewithnoname]

Who: Little One and open!
Where: Cabin 1:C, games room, kitchen, carriage B
When: Bassoon day 4
What: Little One wakes up in a suitcase
Warnings: No specific ones to start but if anyone needs her dialect dropped please let me know! edited: Blood drinking in the Joss thread

Waking: Towards and into cabin 1:C

It was dark when she woke and she knew straight away that she was somewhere enclosed. Not her bed. Not even the makeshift bed she had made. Enclosed, small. Hands went out, probing. Not panicking. Not yet. There was no point until she had more information and no point even after. If she was trapped she was trapped. She would have to deal with that.

She hit solid walls on either side but as she reached above her head there was give and she pushed, swinging the lid open. She sat up and looked around. Luggage carriage. She could tell by the smell, the lingering smell of smoke. She clambered out of the suitcase and frowned on it. How had she got there?

Night time wanderings, a voice. The voice. Telling her she was needed in the control coach. Was that here? Then nothing. Until now.

Weird. She padded out of the luggage carriage, through the dressing carriage. It was full of spiderwebs. She wrinkled her nose. Had Peter gone crazy?

She is in her nightdress but she can see from the windows it is day time, or whatever passes for it here. So she heads to her room. She should get dressed. She presses her ticket to the screen and enters.

What's new? Carriage E

She had been on her way to get some food but this was a new carriage. One that had appeared when she was... Wherever she had been. She's trying not to think about the fact she had disappeared, it's weird. She entered the carriage and wrinkled her nose, what was this? She went over to one of the trunks and began looking through the boxes. Games. Board games. That must be it. She's heard of them.

She went through both floors, stopping to poke things or pick things up and read them. So many. How were there even so many games? Who had made them all? Why were they here?

Upstairs was even stranger, she picked up a large wooden block wondering what sort of game it was for. Building? Fighting?

Stranger still was the other side with the strange face masks. She picked one up and turned it around in her hands, examining it from all angles. What kind of game was this?

Disappearing is hungry work: Kitchen

Her explorations could only last too long before her stomach made it clear she hadn't eaten in a long time. She knows logically if she hadn't eaten in a whole week she wouldn't be alive so she must have... But she's still hungry.

She had read the information for this month. She doesn't even know what a Bassoon is, but Red team are to cook this month. That's her. She can cook. So she heads towards the kitchen to find something to eat.

There's fish, that's good. She knows what to do with fish and she finds some honey. Soon she is stood on tiptoes at a counter, heating a pan of oil and smearing honey onto a piece of fish.

Taking stock: Carriage B

After eating she went to one of the shop screens and bought some chocolate, some sweets and a bottle of purple drink.

She went to the normal carriage and found a table to clamber up onto. She leaned against the window, red hood pulled over her head, bare feet crossed in front of her, sweets spilled out on the table as she investigated them. She hadn't found one she didn't like yet honestly.

There's a lot to think about, where she had been, why she had been taken. She had missed a whole week and missed new people arriving. It makes her angry that she doesn't have any memories about it. Was she controlled in some way? How had she gotten off the train? Nothing made sense. She sighed and leaned her head back against the window.

Comments

Kitchen

[dredefulchilde]

There’s someone else in the kitchen when she gets there. Joscelin stands on a stool at the countertop, pouring something thick and red into a mug. It doesn’t quite look, or smell, like tomato soup.

He takes a long pull and grimaces slightly. Microwaving blood does absolutely nothing for its taste or texture, but at least it’s marginally better than drinking the stuff cold.

When he sees the other child in his midst, he makes no effort to get out of her way. She can work around him if she’d like. They’re both small enough that it shouldn’t matter.

[knifewithnoname]

She recognises the smell. Her head tilts in interest as she takes in the boy. He looks to be just a little younger than her, new, wearing purple. Pale and small. Yet drinking what is unmistakably blood.

She's never seen anyone drink blood before. She's never even heard of anyone drinking blood before. She watches him, her own hunger and plans to make food forgotten for the moment.

"What do it even be tasting like?" Manners are forgotten, she doesn't bother with a greeting, she does not know who this boy is at all. But she gets the feeling that blood drinking would be something light god followers probably disapprove of. Not that she will not be careful still. Perhaps even more careful.

Whose blood it is another question of course but that one would be rude. Even she knows that.

[dredefulchilde]

Were the girl any older, he probably would have responded with his usual sarcasm. But she's not, and he has a soft spot for children, so he responds truthfully:

"Blood tastes like blood. Coppery and metallic. I don't drink it for the taste, really. It's worse when it's cold." He peers over at her. "Who are you?"

[knifewithnoname]

Didn't drink it for the taste? Then why drink it? It seemed an odd choice. But cold blood was worse than warm blood it was true, just in general, she could agree with that. She wrinkled her nose.

"I do be being me." He had answered her question truthfully so she tried to do the same. "The screens do be calling me unnamed female but Peter and mister Stark do be calling me Buttercup. You can be calling me whatever you do be wanting."

Except brat, but she doesn't figure she has to be specific here. He's younger than her, if he calls her brat she will punch him in the face. "Who do you be being?"

Kitchen:

[blueberryprincess]

Evie's soon to arrive in the kitchen a moment later. It may not be part of her teams chores, but she pretty much lives in here. She's hungry and wants just a basic sandwich, for once, but when she spots the little girl cooking, she steps back some to watch.

She doesn't know this kid, and didn't see her on the platform, but she's still a small child. And she reminds her of children from the Isle. Th self reliance, the determination to do it herself.

But, this is also Evie Grimhilde. Her own mother might be a heinous witch, but Evie wasn't. She was the one who made sure others were okay.

"I don't think I've ever used honey on fish before. Some mango might go with it, too. Do you want to try that?"

She's not going to tell the kid she can't do this on her own. No one grows if they're told they can't do something.

[knifewithnoname]

She looked around with a small frown at the voice but she recognised that blue hair. Evie. She hadn't spoken to her yet but she knew who she was. She had figured it out from the passenger list.

"You did no never be eating honey and fish?" She tilted her head. She was aware that people on this train used a lot less honey than she was used to and indeed Kant had told her that in many places honey was a luxury and not one that people used a lot. But this girl had never had honey fried fish? She had never lived!

"Do we be having mango?" It might go, she could always try. She would try anything once. Food wise that was.

[blueberryprincess]

"I've never had it, no. It sounds interesting. We do have mango, though." Evie heads to the refrigerator and reaches in, pulling out a container of mango she'd already cut up earlier. She was going to make something out of it, like try to make a sorbet or something, but she lacked an ingredient or two and didn't really know what to do with it now.

So, this worked.

"I can maybe make something out of this and onions and some of the peppers to put on the fish, too, if you want."

Room 1C

[runs_on_batteries]

After a vigorous sparring match with Light, Tony had come back to the room for a shower. He was just finishing getting dressed- he had his undershirt on just not the polo or hoodie, he was still deciding which he wanted to wear- when the door to the cabin opens and.. he stares in disbelief.

"Buttercup?" He breathes and has to fight every instinct in him to keep his distance. He didn't want to upset her but he was so relieved to see her again! So much in fact, he forgot that he wasn't supposed to be bothering her even this much. "How.. where have you been? I've been worried sick about you. Are you alright?"

[knifewithnoname]

"I did be being in a suitcase." She tilted her head. Something was strange. Tony sounded worried. More than usual. She had seen him the evening before. Or at least before she had heard the voice.

She remembered Hibiki leaving and how Gwen had disappeared for a time. Had she done the same? He had been worried about her?

She's not sure how that makes her feel. She stepped further into the room and up to him, looking for a moment very much her age, unsure, confused. "How long did I be being gone?"

[runs_on_batteries]

A suitcase again? That must be where people default to when their connection is interrupted with the train. It didn't make him feel much better than people go missing around here, but he pushed that out of his mind for now.

"Well.. it.. it's been about nine days, kid. I was really worried we'd lost you." And clearly that was the worst thing ever, by his tone. "Do you feel okay? Anything hurt? I uh.. oh! I have something for you."

He opens up a tiny suitcase he pilfered from the luggage room (aired out so it wouldn't stink) and inside is her dralite chocolate lolli. "This is yours from doing so well on Ciyesia. I saved it for you."

Hey little sis, let's play not!Mario Kart!

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter's been spending a lot of time in the game car mostly playing video games. He likes the one that's sort of like an alien AU version of mario kart the best so far but man does he miss playing games with Ned. Maybe, if they'll lucky they'll get a switch or something someday. Maybe!

He turns up at game car right around the afternoon, he's no longer on food prep so he's got a little more free time which means he gets bored twice as fast. Just don't tell Mr Stark. He shows up with the homemade gummies from Mr Stark a few other sweets and some water. When he sees the familiar form of Buttercup he just about drops all of it.

"Oh my God! You're back! I was so worried! Where'd you go? Can you remember? Gwen Couldn't when she got back-still can't but she's safe and so are you and that's the important part! Want some gummies? Mr Stark made them 'cause he's awesome-want me to show you how VR works? There's some pretty awesome games if you wanna play."

[knifewithnoname]

She spins round at the noise of someone entering the carriage and then stands stock still under the barrage of questions. Peter talks so much at the best of times but right now she's not even sure where to start.

She had been gone a whole week, that's such a strange thing to think about. She has no memories and that is worrying. "The control car. Except I do no be knowing where that do be being because I can no be remembering. I did be waking up in a suitcase."

Mister Stark had made gummies? Gummies were a sweet thing that Peter liked. "Yes please I would be liking some gummies, what do VR be being?"

She thinks that's all the questions.

[hashtagparkerluck]

Peter just nods knowingly, that's exactly what had happened to Gwen and if memory serves she wasn't happy about it. That conductor better hope they never figure out how to get to him because there are a lot of people that'll be calling for his head.

"That's too bad, but really, I'm just glad you're safe." Although he's a little concerned about the missing memories. He adjusts things in his arms a bit and holds the bowl of gummy candy out to her.

"VR-It stands for virtual reality which... is uh... not real reality... it might be easier to show you, actually." He states, setting his snacks down and grabbing the other VR head set. "You may need to adjust the glasses a bit-just move this part and see if it fits comfortably on your head-not too loose though-if you're anything like me when I play video games-you'll want it somewhat tight so it doesn't fly off."

Carriage B

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin came into the car with his notebook under his arm and looked around for a place to sit. He immediately saw the child sitting at the table with a heap of sweets spilled out in front of her. He hadn't seen her on the platform and he wondered if she was one of the unaccompanied children he had heard about.

"Hello," he said, in a soft, kindly voice. "Can I sit down here?"

[knifewithnoname]

"Hello." Someone new. Though he looked sort of like the other two tall people with weird ears. There were lots of other chairs in the carriage but she guessed he wanted company. She sort of understood that. This train was strange and sometimes it felt better to be around other people, even if they were stupid and slightly dangerous.

If she was better at being alone maybe she wouldn't have gotten into such a tangle with Peter and Tony. "Of course you can be being, it do no be being my train."

She watched him carefully as he got closer.

[so_dark_a_road]

He did look rather like Fëanor and Maglor, since they were respectively his father and his second-eldest brother. His ears weren't quite as pointed as theirs were, but he was most definitely an Elf. And she was right, he did want company, and he wanted to get to know as many people as possible. Stupidity and danger were always the risks a person took in the quest to know others.

He tilted his head to better decipher her speech, but he didn't think worse of her for it. She seemed to be giving her permission, more or less. And so he sat down cautiously, at the same table but not too near her, as he didn't want to frighten her in any way.

"My name is Curufin, and I have only been on this train for a little while. How about you?"

Kitchen

[filmnotyetrated]

Wade slid down the halls of the train, singing loudly with absolutely no consideration for anybody who had to hear him. He ducked into the kitchen, looking to maybe microwave some fish for too long and stick the blame on someone else. That could be funny.

"♪♫ You take the grey skies out of my wa~ay, you make the sun shine brighter than Doris Day, turned a bright spark into a fla~ame. ♪♫ " He wailed as he rooted around for a good piece of fish that would definitely linger. "♪♫ My beats per minute never been the same, 'cause you're my lady, I'm your fool. It makes me crazy when you aaa-AAAH-!" He choked suddenly with a scream as he turned and saw a tiny child standing at the counter.

Did this train only kidnap children? What did that say about him and his mental state then?

"Hey there, tiny, aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper? Can't sneak up on a guy like that." He moved closer, making sure his mask was properly tucked into his hoodie. He'd need to get a hold of some gloves too, at some point.

"What are you doing with that fish?" He asked, as though he had not had his own heinous fish-based plans.

[knifewithnoname]

She heard him long before she saw him, a voice she didn't recognise singing as it came closer. She kept an eye out as the voice got louder, even as she continued preparing the fish.

She didn't startle when he screamed, though she did wrinkle her nose. How was he so unobservant? She hadn't moved at all.

Also she's not tiny. "What do a stormtrooper be being?" She hadn't snuck up on him at all, she tilted her head at the man in the mask. Why was he wearing a sock on his head? She didn't like it. It made him even harder to read than normal people. She looked at the fish and back to him.

"I do be cooking it, what else would I be doing with fish?"

[filmnotyetrated]

That was definitely an order those words were in. Wade shook his head, hoping all the fish the train was feeding them wasn’t giving them mercury poisoning or something. He didn’t want to deal with the cartoon unicorns and voices again. Those guys were assholes.

Oh, she was saying something else, in the same way. He probably wasn’t cracking again, then. She just talked like that.

“A stormtrooper is something you’re too short to be, so don’t worry about that.” He waved a hand and leaned over the counter to get a better look at what she was doing. “Yeah, but you’ve got bee juice all over it, is that any good? You should try it with tree juice, that’s maple syrup, Tiny, sometime. Everything is good with syrup.” Should he be talking so fast? Probably not, but damn the kid had scared him shitless and now the ramblin’ train— haaaa— wouldn't stop.

Taking stock

[faithfulsupport]

Ignis visited the carriage regulrly, always checking to see if somehow Ebony coffee became a thing here yet. And as he had discovered that the coffee wasn't a thing he decided to go sit.

Coming across the B Carriage, he peeked inside and saw a pair of little bare feet. Thinking some socks might need to be found as soon as he discovered who they belonged to, the advisor cocked his head to the side.

There was a red hood over the face and Ignis couldn't make out who it was, but it didn't matter. The bare feet obviously belonged to a child and he was more than sure they were cold. Having had to take care of a Prince over the years, the advisir didn't need to touch the feet, so he sat down across from the little person.

"Aren't you cold?"

[knifewithnoname]

"This train do always be being stupid cold." She answered looking up at Ignis with a small smile. She liked Ignis, he had made her food. It didn't feel that long since she had seen him but she knew it had been, because she had been gone for over a week.

It was nice to see a familiar face though. "Do you be wanting one?" She held out a sweet from the pile.

[faithfulsupport]

Green eyes opened wide as he heard a familiar voice. So he went over to her and shook his head after a few moments at her question.

"Where have you been?" And he could clearly recall Tony's grieved face, and the day that he stood next to the other man searching for her.

There were no visible signs of injury for which he was thankful. His daggers would come out at his command but if he didn't have to go hurt anyone right now that was fine. The advisor might look harmless but he certainly wasn't.

Carriage B

[pleple]

Passing through coach B at the right time was just a matter of her heading back from the dining car; quietly, quickly walking through, nearly blowing right past the returned Buttercup only to almost literally double-take.

There it was - a little flip-flop feeling in her chest again, just like when Evie had reappeared as an entirely different person, and she wouldn't stand for one of the other few people here she was starting to... befriend?... ending up like that. And that fear glued her in place for a moment, just breathing, wondering what she should do about it-

The only answer was to get it over with either way, of course. Ple Two was no coward. "Buttercup?"

Re: Carriage B

[knifewithnoname]

She looked up when she realised someone was close. Ple Two. Stood silently. Ready. As if she was thinking. Calculating.

She moved her hand, casually to near where her dagger was hidden, just in case...

Then Ple Two spoke, seemed to break out of whatever had made her pause so. "Hello Ple Two. I do be being back. I can no be telling you where I did be going though because I do no be knowing."

It was very strange. She didn't move her hand, just in case.

[pleple]

Caring about people was natural, right? But she'd actually been a little scared when Buttercup disappeared. She wasn't built for that. Those sorts of feelings should have been erased by her mental conditioning and training.

Here she was, and when Buttercup greeted her, she sighed with relief; tension melting out of her. "I'm just glad you remember me." Unlike Evie, who was just... a whole different Evie, despite being the same person as well. "And that you're back."