[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

[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.

[superniceone]

[seeing old lumière firsthand is— well, basically a dream for him. but it's not firsthand, not really, so he'll tamp down his own opinion about the matter.]

If I'm driving, then you're navigating. Which way?