THE SLEEPER CAR

[thetapes]

The moment the clock hits 6:00:00, there's the faint sound of sliding metal. Then another, louder. And another. Another. And finally, one more, and you understand why the sound was getting closer and closer. The doorway opposite to the padlocked control room has opened on its own, and even without entering what lies beyond, you can see that the other doors have opened as well, straight down to the train's end. The doors must have opened in reverse, and now, you're free to explore. Testing the handles will show that each door can be opened and closed at will from now on. Or, well, at least for now. There's no telling when anything around here will change.

--

This will be your catchall mingle for any thread taking place in the Sleeper Car. Because of the short run of the game, instead of individual mingles being posted for different times or events, each mingle is posted by location. Please note the ic hour in which your thread takes place in your header, and make sure you don't have your character in two places at once.

As always, feel free to contact me on plurk or discord with any questions you have!

Comments

Moloch von Zinzer | Hour 2

[chiefminion]

[You know what's a good place to hide stuff? Where you sleep. Less chances of someone taking it if you have it close to you at night. That's why Moloch starts searching the beds, even trying to check underneath the beds in case anything can be found]

I'm not even sure what kind of notes we're supposed to find. What do you think?

[Yes, he's talking to you, person who entered the Sleeper Car]

[andtwiceaspretty]

[Cassel had a similar idea, except his hinges on the idea that there's just more space to hide things in here. Lots of underbed storage.

But since Moloch seems to be focusing on the beds themselves, he'll busy himself with grabbing pillows and squishing them to see if there's anything hidden inside.]

Probably the paper kind? [Helpful.]

Or maybe frantic messages written on the walls in blood.

[Was that... a joke... ?]

[chiefminion]

Oh, sure. We have already gone halfway into the horror movie territory, why not go full force with bloody messages?

[Apparently Moloch is so pessimistic about their situation he fully expects it. He sighs, bumping his head against the edge of the bed while he tries to look underneath]

Sorry, I'm kind of on edge about all this. I'll get over it--huh? [After a momentary pause, he takes out something he found: they seem to be several jigsaw pieces] If you find more like these around then this could be of use.

[A side seems to be a picture, the other blank space with some letters on it]

[andtwiceaspretty]

Hey, don't worry about it. I'd be more worried if people weren't on edge.

[Says the guy who does not appear to be on edge. Cassel lifts up a pillow and blinks.]

... Like these?

[He's found a few more pieces. But he's also found something else, judging by the way the pillow crinkles when he squishes it. He pulls out a piece of paper with a shaky, frantic script. After reading it, he frowns and holds it up. He wasn’t using it so it’s fine. Nobody needed it, so it’s fine. There’s nothing anyone could have done to save her anyway. They don’t need to know.]

[chiefminion]

"Save her"? So it's a note about an object and a woman? Or a girl? [He frowns] ...it could be the same handwriting than whatever's writing on the back of these pieces.

[Moloch dumps his pieces on the floor. Seems like this will be a lot of pieces -- around 100]

We don't have time to mess around, so we have to do it as fast as possible. I think the edges are what needs to be done first...

[He starts moving pieces around, although he's hesitating a bit. Feel free to take over, pal]

Hour 3

[haveyounoshame]

[Elliot's definitely not gonna sit around and do nothing, but he also kind of wants to just avoid anything regarding his little episode. So he's in here now, starting off by checking the bunks themselves. Like, actually climbing into each one and lying down or otherwise feeling around.

...He's of noble blood, maybe he's more sensitive?]

[chiefminion]

We should consider ripping apart the mattresses.

[Hiiii guess who is still hanging out in this car]

[haveyounoshame]

[These beds are horrible and his face shows it, ugh. Still gonna try all of them out if possible.]

Okay. What are we gonna do that with?

[He sure doesn't have his sword. ...He's a nerd and his family is old and European, okay?]

[chiefminion]

[He crosses his arms, pensive]

We don't need something too sharp. Something long like this wrench could be enough to make a hole if enough force is applied. [He shows the wrench he got in his briefcase] So if there's anything in a mattress, a hole would need to be made near it and then we rip apart with our hands.

[So...the tough part is touching the mattresses all over to find out if anything is embedded into them. Shall we touch the horrible beds all over?]

[haveyounoshame]

[Oh hey, there's a crinkling sound under Elliot on one of the top bunks! There's a note under the sheets.

The handwriting is clear and deliberate. The smooth straightness of each unhurried word gives a sense of patience and precise thought.

Perhaps the sin I’m being punished for is simply my silence. I wonder, was this to teach me that voicelessness doesn’t have to be a crutch? I suspected the truth from the moment our eyes met, but now...]

Hmm, got something here. And if that actually works, I won't stop you.

hour 4

[yolosuke]

[time to check out the sleeping area! and not just to flop in a bed at some point.

but seriously, yoneya will be checking out the beds, in particular knocking on them once in a while and also sliding his briefcase under one because why not, it's worth a shot.]

[yellowspotted]

[Kate shows up just in time to find Yoneya waggling his briefcase around under a bed.]

That technique working for you?

[She's not judging that's just how her face looks.]

[yolosuke]

[and nothing happens.]

Nope!

[so he pulls his briefcase out and instead starts looking around the nightstands, which apparently proves more fruitful as he wriggles his hand around in a wedge.]

Aha! Ow, okay, here's hoping I don't rip it—

[thankfully he doesn't, and after a brief struggle, he manages to pull out a note.]

[yellowspotted]

Careful there, kid.

[But she watches as he does manage to not rip the evidence. Good. We don't need more of that...]

Nice thinking. What's it say?

[yolosuke]

Man, whoever wrote this sure was disorganized... The writing's a mess.

"It’s like my skin is covered in bees. I just don’t want to feel it, that’s all. Is that so bad? I just need to be numb again. Nobody can blame me for wanting that right now."

[...]

Well, I guess that's why it's a mess...

Hour 5

[spiritguiding]

All right... whatever secrets there are that might still be hiding in here, I'm going to find you!

[Botan pushes up the sleeves of her kimono and gets to work scouring the sleeper car - they've still got a few hours, so she's going to give it as thorough a search as she can. Catch her reaching underneath the bottom bunks, shaking out the blankets and sheets and pillowcases, looking under the mattresses, examining the nightstands...]

[smackup]

Botan?

[Poking her head in because that's a voice she definitely recognizes, and Keiko smiles a little before trailing further in, pocketing her notebook]

Need some help?

[spiritguiding]

Oh, Keiko, there you are!

[Botan grins as she enters the car, then gestures at one of the mattresses she's struggling with.]

Would you help me lift this? I think I caught sight of something under it...

[smackup]

O-Okay.

[Immediately striding over, rolling up the sleeves of her shirt before she grabs the other end of the mattress]

Ready on 3? 1, 2--!

[They're two strappin' young girls, they got this! Now time to see if there's anything of interest underneath...]

[spiritguiding]

Three!

[Up the mattress goes!

There sure is something there. It looks like a picture, and Botan balances her part of the mattress on her shoulder as she leans down to snatch it away. Once they've safely grabbed it, it's time to drop the mattress.]

Aha, I thought so.

[She holds it out to Keiko to look at -

There's a woman with her curled hair up in a nest of a bun, grinning and covered in paint, wearing overalls and holding a paint roller. She looks happy, but somehow anxious at the same time. In the background a dark-skinned man is carrying several clear bins stacked on top of each other, filled with different children's painting supplies. His back is to the picture; clearly he's in the middle of some work.

On the back, in faded pencil, it reads in clear, concise cursive:

Helping Henrietta before her big day. We both have high hopes.

It's dated simply "summer" with a number that matches roughly ten years ago.]

HOUR 6

[rightminded]

[ ALRIGHT FAM WE APPARENTLY GOT WORK TO DO. So Akechi has headed to the one place he hasn't actually been yet and immediately set to looking around. ]

[haveyounoshame]

[Elliot's back in here too because he actually really only did one check in here before Moloch tore the evidence in the mattress. Also he's so not going back to the observation car. He'll check out the nightstands first.

And he finds a note in one!

Self reflective and deeply personal, there are places where the pen was held too long in contemplation, creating pools of bleeding ink.

Can’t he see that the only kindness she ever shows him is the way she looks at the diamond on her finger? The extent of Rowena’s vicious pettiness is so incredibly vast one would think that she wanted him for more than his money. There’s a part of me that sees those sad pale eyes and just wants to scream at him to stand up for himself.

But that’s not my place. I’d be a hypocrite...I’ve never been able to do as much for myself. Not against her attacks and not against anyone else’s. I’ve let everyone think of me as they will, simply hoped the rumors would end if I ducked my head and stayed quiet. Of course that’s not how it works for any of us. That’s why we’re here, isn’t it?

People don’t forget when they’ve been hurt.]

Ugh...

[rightminded]

Rowena... our art critic is back. Seems this is the subject of her criticisms.

[ Murmured thoughtfully as he searches the beds, sheets, and eventually the luggage spaces. That's where he finds something, but he makes a soft sound of surprise. Elliot will see why in a moment: Akechi pulls free a teddy bear, its eyes closed as if it were sleeping. He'll stand straight, staring down at it thoughtfully. ]

... what a tragic memento.

[haveyounoshame]

[Elliot gives it a troubled frown as he squints a little in the dim light.]

I can't believe people let children get killed in this whole mess...

[Although thinking about it, maybe said dim lights are hiding something? He glances up, then starts climbing one of the bunks.]

What's up here?

[rightminded]

[ While Elliot climbs, Akechi will focus on the bear. He's turning it over in his hands, examining it closely. ]

... there's something quite unusual about this teddy bear. It's heavy. I'd almost believe there were electronics of some sort inside it...

[ He's able to pry the eyes open, but there's a resistance when he does so, and an audible mechanical clicking. Hm.

Would you look at that, there's a velcro strap on the back. Distractedly, to Elliot, while he works at that too: ]

Found anything up there?