voidtreckernet | Never have I ever made a fool of myself [video, nebula 17]

What's up, party people?

[ And here's a cheerful wave from a man in orange, seated in his room with a mug of...something. ]

If we haven't met yet, my name's Jake. Jake Peralta, your clues guy. I'm down to poke things with sticks and solve mysteries! Sooner we figure out what the train's entire deal is, where we're going and all that, the better, right? But in the meantime, I thought it'd be fun to get to know my new squad!

Anyways, I was wondering if anyone would be down to play a little Earth game called Never Have I Ever. How it works is you say something totally cool, or weird, or boring that you haven't done. And anybody who has done it has to take a drink. Unfortunately, I'm as broke here as I was back home, so I can't supply the booze. And we should probably be setting a good example, right?

So just drink whatever you have! Be that water, juice, milk, coffee...or if you happen to have a proper adult beverage on you, go ahead and drink responsibly. You ready? Great, I'll start: never have I ever gone skydiving!

((ooc: it's a big mingle format! Go ahead and add new 'never have I ever' statements as new toplevels, and threadhop all you want.))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ you know what? izō loves drinking games. the only problem is that it's a lot easier to think of things that he has done because his experience is somewhat limited despite being a heroic spirit. so he's just going to go with an easy one. ]

Aight. Never have I ever... been on one of these train things that didn't involve some kinda magical bullshit.

I’ve been on trains before this. There was the Tokyo system, I’ve ridden subway systems, and there was the Bell Tree Express, but that was a special event.

[Notably, ‘subway systems’ in this case is a euphemism for the London Tube system, since Masumi is trying her hardest to pretend she has no British ties.

Despite that, she has ridden normal trains before this so she takes a drink of her juice.]

Heh, yeah, dunno what that is. I know they had trains in Tokyo, but I never rode one...

[ plus let's face it, it's still weird to call it tokyo even. he's still not super on top of all this future stuff. ]

Don't know what what is, the subway systems or the Bell Tree Express? Subways are just underground trains, while the Bell Tree Express was a special train that was meant to only be run once a year along a 'mystery route'.

Uh. All of it? Didn't have trains when I was around. Gettin' summoned to the future don't mean ya know everything there is t'know either.

Oh, okay then. The trains used in Tokyo are used for public transit since it’s a massive city, and are nothing like this one. You pretty much get on and sit or stand until you get to your intended stop. Definitely no fun carriages or sleepers or anything like that.

Subway systems are similar and are also used for public transit in cities, but they’re run through underground tunnels instead of aboveground.

The Bell Tree Express is an exception. As I said, it only runs once a year on a ‘mystery route’, and it’s meant to resemble older trains. Even has private cabins.

It’s supposed to run a mystery game during the ride, but when I rode, it ended up turning into an actual murder.

[Maybe a bit TMI, but Masumi’s not known for tact.]

Right! I didn't even think train was a word for something that was a vessel, not something you did.

[ someone who gets it! ]

Yeah, people were still losin' their minds over steamships when I was around. If ya needed t'get anywhere else, ya walked.

We definitely did not have anything like steamships. What are steamships? We have... river ships, ships of the sea? They sail or row or move by talisman, mostly. Walking is still the most reliable way for most people.

Talisman, huh? I guess that’s like magic then? Steamships work 'cause they have an engine that burns coal or somethin' an' turns water into steam, then the steam turns a paddle or somethin' like that.

[ he remembers a little something following more learned people around once a long time ago… ]

Most ships people were used to sound like yours, but nobody had anythin' magic back then, least as far as I knew.

Similar to, different in various ways. Depending on what your concept of magic involves?

( he clucks his tongue after listening to this. )

Most boats and ships aren't talisman powered back home either, too expensive. Arm strength or wind strength's enough, and if you work with wind as your element, it's even less of a bother.

( he waggles his fingers for that. gee, Air Dragon Here. )

You died before the first railway in Japan existed, this is true. Did you count the singularities as 'magical' then, or did you never take the tram?

Both.

[That's actually kinda fair she supposes.]

Ah...Yes, that does make sense.

...I came close, but, I think the subway from home counts, so... [Chug! That! Lemon!]

Hehe, guess so since ya ain't the first person to mention the subway even if it sounds ridiculous.

[ yeah... he's here on this void train but underground trains still sound sus. ]

[....?]

...Ridiculous?

[To be fair to all ends, the 'subways' in Japan don't exactly go underground that much...for...earthquake reasons...]

Yeah! Stuff is already built on top of the ground, right? So how are ya just gonna build shit under the ground too? One day it could just fall down whenever it wants.

(no subject)

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Trains were big, once upon a time.

[ Aaand he has to drink. ]

Yeah, not where I was from. Hadn't gotten to all that yet.

In the future of my world, where I'm from, we don't have trains anymore either, but we did in the past.

[ He is very very old. ]

Riding on top of one counts, right?

[ She'll take a sip anyway. ]

[ Glug goes the coffee. ]

Subways. Gotta love that classic stale air smell.

[ He drinks his chocolate milk, but then had to ask; ]

This doesn't apply to me - but what if someone's world has magical bullshit all their own that powers their trains there?

Me either! [a beat] Unless now counts? [another brief pause then,] Before getting on the Voidtrecker Express, I'd never ridden a train.

Although, now that I have, I'm less surprised that magic is somehow involved.

Me neither, though regular trains exist on my world. Just not anywhere near me.