SKREEEEE!

[strangerpeople]

SKREEEEE!

[It's about three o'clock when the train suddenly hears something like the cry of a crow. It's not coming from inside the train, either; it's coming from the outside.

Almost instantly, the speaker system comes to life, and the Conductor's voice echoes through the cars.]

Attention, all passengers and crew! We are under attack. Please come to armaments if you are willing. Otherwise, please congregate in the lounge for your own safety. Immediately, please.

I will meet those of you coming to the weapons.

Comments

LOUNGE

[strangerpeople]

[Everyone not in the armaments are in the lounge. There're a few rats here, serving tea and booze and offering to turn the volume up on the TVs to drown out the sounds of skirmish.

They whisper among themselves, terrified.]

They never should have destroyed the library...! Never, never...!

[OoC Note: Those who choose to stay in the lounge will not get rewarded for what happens in the armaments car, but they will be safe, hopefully.]

[katzenpfote]

[Rats, you say? Caleb has a cat here who is clawed deep into his thighs as he sits, but he doesn't seem to mind. Instead he's sitting and looking out the window. He'd help, but he's not much good with a crossbow and doesn't really know how to use a gun properly.]

[unwittingking]

[So Caleb may have noticed King running out of the lounge very quickly, with RGB close behind. Caleb may have also heard the scream from the armaments car, but figured it was fine and being handled with.

Then King comes running back in, hand gripping Minato's arm, who's half-pulling half dragging said teen into the room.]

Caleb, can you make sure Minato doesn't do anything stupid while he's here?!

[He is...stressed. Just a little bit.

And then he hears screaming back in the armaments and goes running back because this is his life apparently]

[biddentodance]

[hi, his hands are repaired but still kinda bloody]

[katzenpfote]

[Um.]

[He goes over to Minato and reaches out towards his hands.]

Let me see...

[biddentodance]

They're healed. Eliza-san had a potion. [But he'll let Caleb look them over. Feel how fragile they are. There's enough blood that it certainly wasn't a small injury.] Didn't think it'd be that bad...

[katzenpfote]

How did this happen?

[It's like they're glass... what kind of transmutation would cause this? He doesn't know enough...]

[biddentodance]

Don't know.... Wasn't like this before the Eventide.

[He has no idea how or why this happened. But he has a 'what' and a vague 'when'. He should maybe worry about 'who'.]

[katzenpfote]

... Oh.

[Once again, things are his fault. He brushes Frumpking off of his lap and goes to grab a few napkins and some water to clean Minato's hands off.]

We will... figure something out.

[biddentodance]

[He can guess exactly where Caleb's mind went.]

Isn't necessarily that. Vespertine vanished six months ago. Lot can happen in six months.

[It means he'll have trouble fighting, if he needs to, but...that's fine. He'll figure something out.]

[katzenpfote]

There is no way we were missing for six months. Nott would have torn a hole in every plane looking for me if that were true.

[Is he joking? It's hard to say.]

[biddentodance]

[It isn't lightening the mood any, if he is. Minato looks away. There's no one coming for him.]

.....Will find a way to get you back.

[katzenpfote]

And we will find a solution for your problems as well.

[unwittingking]

[Yeah, King is a shorty that probably can't even reach the guns, sooo…

But the actually normal looking rats (to him anyway) do get his attention. He doesn't say anything, but will try to eavesdrop with his big ears as he gives Lisa some head scratches.]

[technicolourdifficulties]

[RGB had never been a fan of guns, and that opinion had recently hit an all-time low for rather obvious reasons, given the rather obvious bullet hole clear through his shoulder. Between that and quite frankly not fancying his chances with anything he can't personally throw, he's just going to be in here, talking to the rats.]

Destruction of a library, you say? That sounds dreadful.

[strangerpeople]

They will never forget. They will never forgive...

[The rats shudder.]

[technicolourdifficulties]

[Thaaaat's not ominous at all. A shame he doesn't get to hear more since this is probably about where King takes off because Minato found out his bones are glass.]

[dragonmouth]

[Well, she only really knows how to use a bow and arrows, and she looks rather distraught and feels rather useless.

She gently boops one of the rats on the head after it carries a tray to her that had a glass of wine on it, which she accepts.]

Thank you.

[Anyone else is going to find her only occasionally sipping in that wine, mostly looking like she's trying to find something to read to distract herself and failing.]

???

[strangerpeople]

[As one shot in particular blasts the monster in the face, the Strangers might hear a very unratlike noise.

Then, a ball rolls into the center of the car as the train swerves.

> Investigate?]

[katzenpfote]

[Um.]

[Caleb extracts himself from both boy and cat before heading over to the ball to take a closer look.]

[strangerpeople]

[It's...odd looking. It's also twitching just a bit.

The ball is scared. D:]

[katzenpfote]

[Um. Hm. He doesn't have a stick, so he takes a strip of bandage from the roll he found and balls it up, rolling it towards the 'ball'.]

[strangerpeople]

[The bandage boops it, causing the thing to unravel just slightly.

The most adorable face stares at it, letting out a questioning meep?.]

[katzenpfote]

Ah... hello there. We will not harm you if you do not harm us, all right?

EVIDENCE

[strangerpeople]

[The creature meeps back again, going back to sniffing the bandage.

It's probably not going to harm anyone. Even the rats seem fine with approaching it and trying to comfort it.]

Oi, there there, don't be scared!

[It must be the mascot of the crew...]