robowest | [ DEPARTURE ]

DEPARTURE

It's time to go.

Most people are on the train by now. Settled into their cabins and among friends and loved ones. There are only three new arrivals left to board and once they do, Hal pulls a conductor's hat out from underneath the bar, tugs it on, and steps around it to the middle of the train. He opens his mouth to talk, voice filling the train.

"It's time to go. Stops happen once a day until everyone's departed and I already have your stopped listed. If you'd like to be prioritized, let me know, otherwise we'll go in order of death. Settle in and enjoy the ride. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask, folks."

This, of course, means that those who died earliest (Manfred, Higekiri) will depart first while those who died latest (Barnham, Damian, Percy) will depart last. There's a stop for everyone, though those who want to get off together are more than welcome to. Hal pulls a notepad and pen out of his pocket later and people will notice that he goes around the train confirming stops with everyone. Whatever feeling Hal may have had to a character back in town isn't noticeable here -- he is simply a robot assigned with a job.

After that, it's all a matter of settling in and enjoying the ride. If that's possible for you, at least.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

If anyone can do it, it's him.

[honestly, noct is hoping he can also stop his own apocalypse but you know.

minor details.]

You guys will be fine there, and he'll do better knowing you guys are waiting for him.

Yeah. Beats home for all three of us, I think, so... It'll be nice. And, I mean, who doesn't want to go to New York?

[A pause.]

...Assuming you even know where that is, given the whole different worlds thing.

Nope, nothing I know.

[that whole different worlds thing.]

But I think I get the idea. My world's got some places like that too.

Yeah. Big city, pretty famous, lots to do. I'm from a way smaller town, so... It'll be ridiculously overwhelming, probably, but I can deal with that.

Yeah, definitely know what that kind of place is like. Insomnia's pretty huge... the first time I went outside on my own... was pretty hard to believe how different things were in the countryside.

[the culture shock goes both ways.]

Bet you'll be used to it in no time, you're good at adapting.

I still can't believe they named a city Insomnia.

[but, moving on.]

Don't know if I'd call where I live countryside, but... Pretty different either way. It's also basically as far to the other side of the country as you can get, so there's that, too. And - thanks. I hope so.

Well... whatever it's like, it's gonna be a hell of a lot better than here.

[so she'll be fine.]

You got through the worst, so... make sure you guys enjoy it there. [once the apocalypse is taken care of, he guesses.

it's a little bittersweet for sure, though. he's going to miss her and the others a lot, especially with how much they all ended up dealing with together in those last couple of weeks.]

Yeah. You too, okay? Once you get headed home.

[She pauses for a long, long moment, before she opens her arms.]

I'm not normally a hug person, and if you tell anyone about this I will track you down no matter how many universes I have to cross.

I'll do my best. You know, once it's all safe and everything.

[he... has a lot of work to do. much like percy.

and for a moment, he seems a little surprised by the offer. but he chuckles a little and moves to return the gesture and hug her.

(seven weeks ago, this would have been nearly impossible for him.)]

That makes two of us. But anyway, I think I can keep a secret just fine—you didn't even know I was a king until five minutes ago.

[she returns it, of course, since she's the one who offered it in the first place. still, nearly as soon as the embrace begins, she pulls away, looking towards the ground. friendship is hard!!]

I really hope the king thing isn't supposed to be a secret. Seems like it'd be pretty hard to keep.

[friendship is hard, he gets it. it's improvement for both of them, at least!]

Kept it under wraps during the game so nobody got the wrong idea. Didn't... really need anyone thinking I'd go killing people or whatever just to get back to my duties.

[and, you know.]

It's not like it was hard to do, anyway. Most people wouldn't look at a guy like me and go "oh yeah, that guy's definitely royalty."

If anyone thought you of all people would do that, they were probably either really stupid or really paranoid. I guess the second one would be fair, though. Not in regards to you, just in general.

[given the rules of the game.]

Yeah, not going to disagree with that.

Never know. Especially early on...

[it could've been a problem, but naturally by the time people started finding out, they knew he wasn't that sort of person.]

Worked out in my favor anyway, didn't it? Kind of saved me having to answer a ton of questions over and over, too.

[ DEPARTURE ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject