Awkward Return | Llama Day 1 | Open

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin suddenly found himself inside a large trunk in the Luggage Carriage. It was a little deeper than a coffin but not as long, so his legs were cramped. "WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING IN HERE???" he yelled, loud enough to be heard outside the trunk.

It was a claustrophobic situation, and he glared up through the dimness at the lid of the trunk. For some reason, it didn't occur to him that the thing probably wasn't locked. Suddenly there was a BANG, Curufin's fist bashing into the underside of the lid, and then a CRASH, Curufin's boot following up with an even harder blow.

Both the fist and the foot left holes in the lid, which popped open and fell against the back of the trunk. Curufin sat up and stared around the luggage car. "What the fuck?" he swore. And then he saw whoever else was in the car and quickly replaced the scowl with a very puzzled smile.

"Hello?" he said. He scratched his head. "Have I been gone from the train?"

Comments

[wisdominshadows]

"Oh!"

Zelda stood up from where she was rummaging through packages to take a proper look at him properly.

"Curufin? Goddesses, you've been gone for a long time! Are you all right? Do you remember anything?"

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin looked back, actually rather pleased to see her.

"Zelda! Yes, I'm all right. I can't remember when I left. . . but . . . I think I've been in the Void again. All I can remember is the darkness and the peace, and the occasional flashes of colored light."

He contemplated her. "Are you collecting a purchase?"

[wisdominshadows]

"A healing potion. One of the scientists on the train was looking for samples, and I promised her one from Hyrule."

She sighed, pushing a strand of hair behind her ears.

"You've been gone for... two months, perhaps? Some things have changed- actually, you arrived just in time for some rearrangements of the sleeping quarters. But Eva is still leading Team Orange, and you'll see other familiar faces as well."

[so_dark_a_road]

"That'll be a useful thing to have on the train," he replied. "I'm guessing that scientist will be looking for a way to analyze the potion and discern the ingredients and make more of it."

He sighed, too. "Two months? That's a long absence, in Voidtrecker time. I'm glad Eva is still the Orange Team leader, and I'm glad that some people I know are still here. What's this about rearrangements of the sleeping quarters? I wonder what the reason for that is?"

[wisdominshadows]

"We always are in need of supplies," she agreed. "I don't know whether it's possible in this case... the wood witches who make these potions use magic in their creation, as well as specific ingredients. But I suppose we might as well try."

Zelda still thinks it might be more practical to bring a cow aboard, but the train shows no signs of accommodating bovine passengers. Also, to be fair, dragging a cow along on a mad voyage past the stars would probably be cruel.

"When we entered the platform today, the sleeper carriages rearranged themselves- what were the odd-numbered carriages are now upper floors. There are also new rooms specifically for couples, which seem to be causing a bit of a headache."

[blue_ice]

"...Curufin?"

Kaiba is here searching in vain hope for someone else, but he's happy to see any long-disappeared teammate appear given the circumstances.

"I was starting to think you weren't coming back."

[so_dark_a_road]

"Kaiba! I'm so glad to see you! How have you been?"

Curufin gave him an affectionate smile.

"I'd rather be here than anywhere else, so I'm glad I did come back. And what brings you to the Luggage Car today? Packages to pick up, people to look for?"

[blue_ice]

"Well...we had another dangerous mission, and the train brought us to a strange place where we could allegedly send messages to people who aren't here with us," he reported dutifully. He looked tired as he sat on one of the nearby suitcases.

"Yugi's gone missing. I'm holding my breath now to see if he'll come back, or if he's gone...but other than that, we live. We carry on. You were missed," he adds, with a tiny smile.

[so_dark_a_road]

"How strange," answered Curufin, "The train has never before even hinted that we might be able to communicate with people we left at home or in other places. "If I had been there, I'd have tried to send a message to my father, my mother, and my brothers. Did you try to message anyone?"

He gazed at Kaiba with sympathy, seeing how tired his friend looked.

"I'm so sorry that Yugi is gone. I really hope he returns. He meant a great deal to you, didn't he?" He responded to Kaiba's smile with a kindly smile of his own. "I suppose he'd want you to carry on. And yes, that's what we all must do. Thank you, Kaiba, for telling me I was missed."

[blue_ice]

"He hasn't...disembarked yet. I'm not sure if he will next time. But knowing you reappeared after being gone for so long means it's possible that he'll return."

Kaiba briefly touches the ring he wears above his locket, then looks at Curufin once more.

"I sent messages to my little brother and the pharaoh...the one who was Yugi's friend, and my rival. And a few former passengers who've departed since you left."

His face is grim on that last part.

[mtsilver_conquor]

Forget the questions, she can answer that later. Eva would like to try and literally attach herself to her brother via a hug please and thank you.

That it might be awkward? Who cares.

"You're back!!"

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin opened his arms, accepted the hug gratefully, and returned it with great affection. He didn't care if it was awkward either. Eva was his adopted sister and he was overjoyed.

"I'm back, and I'm glad to be back, and I'm very glad to see you, Eva! What did I miss? And how's Team Orange doing?"

[mtsilver_conquor]

"It's good to have you back," She says when she finally releases the hug. "Ah, Orange is well, though we've lost a few... and Senku's a junior lead. The last mission was... something alright." She trails off before shaking her head. "I'm actually thinking of calling a meeting on the 3rd of Llama, too."

[so_dark_a_road]

"Who did we lose from the team?" asks Curufin. "I'm glad Senku was willing to be a junior lead. He'll be a good leader if he has to assume that role at any point. What about that last mission? You're shaking your head, Eva, so I wonder if it went wrong? And if so, then how far wrong? If you call that meeting, I'll be there too. What issues do you want the team to discuss?"

[mtsilver_conquor]

"Nita-chan, for one," Eva says with a sigh - only to grimace. "Let's just say I got too cocky and ended up caught up in the illusions last mission."

She doesn't want to talk about it for the simple fact it's embarrassing, especially coming from a world where psychics were common and known about.

"Just the typical, and get them to fill out the survey. Ideally, I also want to start seeing if we can't use the sound time between missions to teach or hone what skills we have."

[runicfeathers]

"Curufin!"

Willow has already set her books and seed packs down somewhere out of the way and is immediately rushing over to the voice, also feeling that her bond isn't empty anymore. She's thrilled, delighted, and over-excited to see the elf again. She hadn't even thought to check the roster that morning either to see his name was no longer in gold, otherwise she would have rushed over much sooner.

"You've been gone some time, but for how long I am... unsure. It's good to finally have you back."

There's an offer of a hug waiting as she speaks.

[so_dark_a_road]

"Willow! I'm glad to see you!"

He too senses the bond and is happy that it is not empty for her anymore.

"It's good to be back, and it's very good to resume my friendship with you." He senses the offer of a hug, steps out of the trunk, goes to her and accepts that offer. He puts his arms around her, and his embrace is very gentle and affectionate. "How are you?"

[runicfeathers]

Her return of the hug is enthusiastic, yet gentle, taking care not to be too rough despite her relief. She knows Eva had much work to do without him around, and is glad for them both that their workload would hopefully equalise.

But the question of how she is perks her up even more, having not had the best of times when he'd disappeared and clearly now in far better spirits.

"I too am glad to be able to resume that, you have been missed by all. But I have been well," A short pause, collecting her words so that she doesn't babble, "I have been helping more in medical and on missions. Others now know what I am, but... I am more okay with this now. I can help others better this way."

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin wouldn't be concerned even if Willow positively crushed him with a hug! He'd just laugh and be pleased with the sentiment. He's glad to be back to take up his old position of co-leader of Orange Team, and he'll take on whatever part of the workload Eva wants to share.

He's pleased to see Willow looking so perky. He smiles down at her.

"I'm glad you've been well. And that's good you've found such useful ways to help out. I always did have faith in your abilities and your intentions. And it seems others now have the same faith. How did what you are become known? Did you tell people?

[runicfeathers]

There's a nervous laugh at his question, and then a nod with more laughing.

"They do, and none so far have tried to attack me over being what I am. It's... strange, I'm used to being hunted down, but I've been accepted. And.. yes I did, there was an incident some time ago where most people were turned into children, myself included, and I ran around showing everyone my wings."

She's still embarrassed about this, but has let it go due to how helpful she's been able to be since then, even if she was quite the hyper child about it.

[10billionpercent]

Naturally Senku is in the luggage car, he tended to be on platform days even though he wasn't intending on lingering too long, just finding his purchases and leaving. The thump was a bit of a surpise.

"You've been gone awhile." He smiled.

Curufin will notice that Senku is looking well. He seemed to be in good spirits. He was in his orange, of course, platform day but at the same time he'd added a platinum pendant on a chain around his neck, and on the wrist without the SCA he was also wearing a band with a flower on it, two things he would likely not be without again.

"Welcome back, I suppose, unless you were meant to return home in which case, my condolences."

[so_dark_a_road]

Curufin sat up in the trunk and grinned at Senku.

"I guess I have been gone a while," he agreed. "Funny how I forgot that people return in this manner. Or I'd have just lightly lifted the trunk lid instead of putting my fist and my foot through it." Another grin.

He did notice how well Senku was looking, and he also noticed the pendant and the band. "Hey, nice jewelry!" he remarked. "Did you buy those or did somebody make then for you?" Being Curufin the metalsmith, he was always interested in the craft and its products.

"Thank you! I'm glad to be back. No, I don't think I was meant to return to my own world, and I wouldn't choose to go there of my own free will. As far as I can remember, I was floating around in the Void again. I wanted to come back to the Voidtrecker, and apparently my wish was granted."

[10billionpercent]

"Then I suppose you have nothing to complain about." He smiled. He'd noticed Curufin missing and he missed him, but that was far too sappy to say. He'd maxed out his sap meter last month.

His smile softened a bit. "Ah, well we bought the pendant." Senku said, and then held out his wrist for better inspection.

"Eva gifted us these." He hummed. "Gen and I got married while you were gone, they're both symbols of our union." He wasn't wearing a ring, outside the arms band though. "I like the idea of the bracelet though, we were debating rings and what to do because anything I put on my hands is going to be thoroughly damaged." The arms band at least, was magic.

[so_dark_a_road]

"Indeed, I have no complaints." Curufin would have missed Senku if he had never seen him again, but he was not much more likely to say so than Senku was. And that was because he was aware that Senku had an aversion to sap.

He climbed out of the trunk and came nearer to get a closer look at the pendant. "This is excellent work," he said. "So is the band. And it was very nice of Eva to give you gifts of such high quality metalwork. Oh, and congratulations to you and Gen! I hope you both will be very happy. And judging from the expression on your face, Senku, I am sure that you both are. Hey, why would anything you put your hands on be damaged?"

[10billionpercent]

"I'm sure that we will be." Senku assured him. They were both rather pleased about the wedding and once inspected he will be looking for his boxes as they spoke.

"I do a lot of work with the forge at home, and various other things and I'm really rough on my hands so it's likely that a ring would get damaged, or I'd have to take it off all the time which defeats the purpose." He sighed.

"The last mission was a disaster, so you haven't missed anything particularly fun." Senku filled him in, because of course he did. "And my SCA experiment finally yielded poor results and I've had to shift the parameters a bit."