[TLV] IC Inbox

[palissant]

[No response can be gained via comms. He isn't interested in making himself available that way.

If you want him, come find him.]

Comments

[palissant]

[A small grimace crosses his features for a moment. Some things are best not asked about, and he doesn't want to have to create some lie about how and when Julie died.

Gustave doesn't ask, and he's thankful for that.]

No, it isn't.

[And isn't that funny, considering what this world was created for. He clears his throat.]

So, the train?

[superniceone]

[he's equally grateful when verso doesn't ask any questions. it's a surprisingly comfortable moment of commiseration.]

Mmh. Are you going to hate me if I take the engine apart? Could go for a ride first.

[palissant]

[A short laugh.]

No, I won't hate you. I always liked trains, you know? We can go for a ride if you're interested.

[superniceone]

A short ride. And then disassembly.

[palissant]

[There's another of those wry smiles.]

... Do you want to drive?

[superniceone]

[ok.

he bluescreens for just a moment.]

That's an option, isn't it.

[palissant]

[Oh yes he sees that bluescreen moment.]

Yes, that is an option.

[superniceone]

Feels a bit like the honor should be yours.

[palissant]

[Verso says nothing to that, but steps back and makes a gesture to the cab of the train.]

I'm going to need to show you how to work the controls anyway. Let's call it a joint effort.

[superniceone]

[gustave tips his head, indicating for verso to lead the way.] You've done this a lot?

[palissant]

Driving trains? That's a complicated question.

[He shrugs and takes the lead, hopping up into the cab.]

Remember what I told you about how I was made?

[superniceone]

[he's immediately in full Study Mode, prepared to commit this all to memory.]

A bit. [every word.]

[palissant]

[A vague wave of his hand. What he says next comes out a little... awkward. It's rare he's able to be so frank about the nature of his own existence.]

A lot of my memories... they aren't mine.

[superniceone]

Yeah. I— yeah. [solemn, but not exactly pitying. acknowledging.] A holdover?

[palissant]

[A sharp huff.]

They're Verso's. The real one.

[superniceone]

[gustave hesitates for a moment, not exactly certain what lines are okay to tread here. he still struggles at times with this concept.]

Well. I appreciate you letting me borrow the experience, at least. Not sure I'd know where to start otherwise.

[palissant]

[He just smiles easily. It's fine, honestly.]

Come up front, I'll tell you what to do and you can do it. Not every day you get the chance to drive a train.

[superniceone]

I've got a warden key. [meaning: he can summon this up whenever he'd like.] I can learn by example today.

[palissant]

[Excuse him while he rolls his eyes. Gustave is probably the only warden he really tolerates by that title.]

Just get to the controls, Gustave.

[superniceone]

[gustave rolls his own eyes in exaggerated but good natured mimicry as he seats himself at the controls.]

Fine. But only because you insist.

[shut up this is exciting]

[palissant]

I do.

[Smirk.]

First, push the Johnson bar forward. That one. [He points it out.] Then open the cylinder cocks. That valve, all the way clockwise.

[It is fun, honestly, showing someone something he's fond of.]

Then blow the whistle.

[A grin. Everyone's favourite thing is blowing the whistle.]

[superniceone]

[it's not the sort of dashboard that gustave has ever seen outside of an old reference manual, but he's good with machines; despite his occasional general aura of uncertain anxiety, he's able to follow the instructions with deft ease.

and when the whistle blows, he laughs aloud; it's juvenile, but the delight is sincere.]

It's a genuine replica, then. Just like the real thing. [for a given value of real, of course.]

[palissant]

Of course. I wouldn't want something that didn't work.

[Gustave please, what do you take him for.]

Release the brakes. [He indicates two brass levers.] The top one, right to left. Then you'll open the throttle.

[The throttle is a long lever hanging from the cab roof. Verso points it out.]

Give it a yank towards you then push it back in, we don't want to set off too fast.

[superniceone]

[gustave lapses into silence to follow instruction, clearly committing it all to memory.]

I— do you have any idea where this is theoretically going to take us?

[palissant]

[He thinks for a moment.]

If we take the right-hand turn when we reach the fork outside of the station, it should take us to Old Lumiére. To the left, over some open ground a quarry, then the coast.