[mingle] the space (january).

[fracturamods]

interim mingle

( WELCOME BACK, TRAVELERS. )

There's nothing but the clatter of train tracks, and the odd feeling of almost floating.

When you wake, it's hard to tell exactly what it is that you're missing - only that you are. There are pieces that aren't quite right, even if you're not sure where those pieces would normally be. Pieces of what, exactly....? Well, if you had to put a word to it, it would be - yourself, probably. Or did you get something back recently?

The place you've found yourself in is strange, certainly. It's probably worth exploring a bit. Though it just as easily seems that the only form of welcome or explanation that you have, comes from nothing more than a slab of marble. It might've changed since the last time you saw it.

You might have changed since the last time you saw yourself too - perhaps with a new emblem on your clothes, or a portrait on your skin.

There's no need to fret that much though. You've already gone through the ordeal once, and you might be able to see results from it. Even so, it's best that you don't get too comfortable, because there is still the unshakeable feeling:

There's still much more ahead of you.

Comments

[suddenlybees]

Fill 'em up.

[ Yeah. Their first stop can be the Costco gas station. ]

There's this huge store along the way, see? There's everything you'd ever want in there, sorta like an entire city crammed into a single building! If we don't find what you need, I bet we'll find something you'll like, so it's a win-win~

[twitter]

Uwa? That big?

[ she traces the shape of a square in the air with her fingers, and then nods. ]

That sounds pretty neat. Are there other stops?

[suddenlybees]

Even bigger than you're imagining~

[ Her entire arm span won't be enough to trace a square the size of Fantasy Costco. But he grins and looks out the window at the white nothingness outside, having no idea where all the other stops are and what order the train hits them up at. ]

But, hm, let's see~ I kinda lived on the train for a while so I haven't seen much, but I bet there's lots of other stops! We can always get out at the first stop, and if the train doesn't come back soon, we'll just walk along the tracks and hope we don't get squashed later!

[twitter]

Hm... I'll watch out for you.

[ no one will get squashed under her watch. she can be both a terror and a babysitter at once, somehow. ]

It'll be good to do some exploring.

[suddenlybees]

[ Oh, he'll be incredibly grateful to hear it, seeing as he's prone to situations where he gets squashed. ]

Same, same~ I'll watch out for you too! [ And he will! He just can't guarantee safety or anything. He might just stand there and watch while Hajiime gets run over by a train. ]

Let's go up to one of the cars up front~ The further up we are, the faster we'll get to the store!

[twitter]

[ at least there will be a witness ]

Gatcha!

[ that seems to be an affirmative, because she immediately turns and starts walking towards the front of the train. ]

[suddenlybees]

[ Gatcha... cute. Okay. Kano trots on after her, letting Hajime lead the way so she can be the first one to encounter the Disco Room or the one with the fake fireplace and piano where if you play the right notes on the piano the fireplace flips around to reveal a hidden door. ]

[twitter]

[ no matter what they open the door to, even if it's just a bathroom, hajime lets out an impressed squeal before moving onto the next compartment. ]

Wow... this is some train! It's so big! I wonder how many people it can seat? How fast does it go?

[suddenlybees]

Oh, man, that reminds me how we were gonna do a headcount before everybody went on their separate ways... You don't have, like, a marker or anything?

[ He was going to draw on people's foreheads, but Chuuya vetoed that. Hajime looks like the sort of person who wouldn't veto it. ]

[twitter]

Oh! I do, it's--

[ a pause ]

Oh. I don't have my backpack.

[suddenlybees]

Aw, way to get my hopes up...

[ Should he be on the lookout for lost backpacks? He would sooner loot the backpack than carry one around, no matter how infinitely more convenient a bag is. ]

Looks like we'll have to mark people like something else... Ketchup, maybe? It dries all crusty so it won't slide off, as long as nobody touches the mark...

[twitter]

Maybe we can get stickers and place it on them? The store might have some!

[suddenlybees]

[ Stickers... That's boring, but very cute, so Kano finds himself nodding. ]

Let's try to find the shiny holographic ones~!

[twitter]

Holographic... aahhhh, that's so cute...!

[ she's very into this idea. ]

Maybe we can find some of dinosaurs... or explosions...

[suddenlybees]

Maybe~ We'll see once we're there!

[ Which I'm going to say is RIGHT NOW, after the train suddenly accelerates to 200 mph for a few minutes and then abruptly goes from 200 to 0pmh in two seconds flat. Kano has been thrown onto the floor somewhere, but they are at the Costco now. ]

[twitter]

Whoa!

[ hajime is now several feet more ahead than she was two seconds ago, but it's fine. she did not die. ]

Haha, that hurt.

[suddenlybees]

[ Haha, indeed! ]

Yikes, I think half my bones are bruised, and the rest have been ground to powder...

[ Kano hops up onto his feet after making sure his limbs haven't flown off and there is no brain matter splattered across the ground or anything, and makes his way to exit the train before it takes off again. ]

I'm gonna need lots of stickers to make myself feel better, so c'mon, let's get off this death trap~

[twitter]

[ everything hurts, but that's fine? she'll get back to her feet, and brush dirt off her clothes. ]

Let's gooooo!

[ she'll limp for a little bit but will bounce back it's fine ]

[suddenlybees]

[ Let's go!!

The first place Kano leads Hajime to is the promised gas station. To "fill 'em up"... ]

We got gas and air, which one will it be?

[twitter]

[ this is. so stupid.

but she hums to herself and then pats her chest. ]

Air?

[ less messy ]

[suddenlybees]

[ Air.

Kano nods, thinking how they're going to do this. ]

Okay, so, you're gonna have to tuck your shirt in so the air doesn't escape, and hold your sleeves down. I'll fill you up through the collar. Sounds like a plan?

[twitter]

Hm...

[ give her a moment as she attempts to do these things. once her shirt is properly tucked in, she will. attempt to hold her sleeves down? it's kind of awkward with the positioning. ]

Good?

[suddenlybees]

Good~

[ Kano sticks the nozzle of the air hose down the front of Hajime's shirt and angles it so she doesn't get blasted in the tiddie or something, and then opens the valve to let the high pressure air immediately balloon Hajime's shirt. ]

LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE FULL!!

[twitter]

[ she throws up a peace sign, and then quickly goes to grab the sleeve again.

this is very dumb but she thinks it's super funny. ]

I'm not sure if it's working...!

[suddenlybees]

[ Of course it's not working if she lets go and loses all that air for the peace sign!! ]

Are you sure?!

[ He

reaches forward and pats Hajime's chest again, but it's more air than chest he's feeling, and he can't tell either way. ]