Video

[runs_on_batteries]

[Someone may have been drinking, so the clarity of this message might be a little off. He toasts the screen with the mostly empty tumbler.]

Couple thoughts for you-

Don't forget we have some young children on board. Just keep that in mind if you're spouting off about something- you know- really traumatic or whatever, you guys know what I'm talking about, it could harm or upset them. Just.. don't be a dick to the kids. Be a dick to someone else. K?

Also, there have been a couple of ideas floating around for platform days and ways to welcome new people- which is great. I remembered a charity from back home for kids who were stuck in the hospital over Christmas and thought we could borrow that idea. If you have a spare 10 team points you're willing to donate by purchasing a mascot, I'll be- or someone.. maybe Peter, I don't know- but bears will be given to any new kids who show up. Oh, and they come with little hoodies, see?? So we could use people from other teams.

[As he's talking, you can see in the background, Ignis entering the room. Unfortunately someone else noticed he was there too.]

Hey! Tiger! Wave to the camera.

[Ignis frowns and quietly comes over and turns the ICP off.]

~~~~~~

[A short time later, Tony opens the chat again for an additional comment.]

Okay, due to some really generous souls on board, let's keep it to two donated bears per person, okay? Also, does anyone know what the souvenir is?

Comments

[luckybucky]

[Bucky resists the urge to groan, just for you, Tony. He follows to the ICP and furrows his brow a little at the point listing.] Huh. How'd I end up with so many?

[He does wrinkle his nose a little when Tony says the points can't be transferred.] I can't just give my ticket to someone else, have them do it? [Like Peter. Or Tony. Or literally anyone that isn't him. Still, he perks up a little when Tony mentions that Ignis already bought the book.] I was going to just put mine in the kitchen for everyone, but I wouldn't mind borrowing it instead.

[runs_on_batteries]

You've gone on missions and you've stuck around. So far that's the criteria I've figured out for these points. There's a riddle they also give at the first of every month and I'm guessing there's something tied to that, but that's really just a guess at this point.

[He rolls his eyes and holds out his hand.]

Give me your ticket, you big metal-armed baby.

[luckybucky]

Thanks. [He hands over his ticket and, without breaking eye contact with Tony, sticks his flesh thumb into his mouth and gives it a suck. You want nonsense, Tony? This is how you get nonsense.]

[runs_on_batteries]

[Tony makes a face at that. He holds on to the irritation for an impressive five seconds before he can't help laughing.]

You're such a dumbass.

[He shakes his head with another chuckle and then shows him how to buy things off the train store.]

Do you need anything else from here? But just so you're aware, Romeo can order things off here and you can't.

[luckybucky]

[Bucky pulls his thumb out and dries it off on his pants with a chuckle.] Takes one to know one, and that's all I need.

[He pauses at mention of Romeo and mentally flips a coin.] I'm sure that's a very cutting and profound insult, but I have no idea who the hell that is. [He resists the urge to stick his tongue out or grin like an asshole.]

[runs_on_batteries]

[Tony goes to retort something, but then rolls his eyes.]

Just for that..

[He hits the button to order a souvenir on Bucky's ticket.]

Call it a transaction fee.

[luckybucky]

[That gets a blank, vaguely annoyed stare] You're supposed to be using it to get teddy bears. The souvenir thing better be good... [Or at least gift-able. It's not like there's anything Bucky wants to spend his points on, anyway. Everything he wants is already on the train, and he liberated enough notebooks on the last world to last him at least a few months.]

[runs_on_batteries]

Here.

[He hands over the little bear with a purple hoodie and then in the next few moments, a stereoscope pops up. Tony frowns at it.]

Damn, should've made you buy me whiskey instead. Ah well, one mystery solved at least.

Assuming this is okay?

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Nita glances up from her latest book when that stereoscope pops out - it makes more noise than the bears, at any rate.

Turning around in her seat and kneeling up on it, she says:]

Whatever you got smells a lot less than whiskey, anyway!

[She's eyeing Tony just a little, wryly, but she's not really mad or anything.]

Does it really theme all the colors based on our Team?

This is fine with me!

[luckybucky]

[He holds the bear to his chest when it's handed over, frowning at the stereoscope.] How many points are left?

[When Nita speaks up, he turns to show her the bear, without letting go of it. He feels a little foolish, wearing matching clothes with a teddy bear, but it's not the most embarrassing thing he's ever done.] Mine matched, so I'd assume so. Who's this bear going to, anyway?

Perfect!

[runs_on_batteries]

[Tony notes the way Bucky is holding the bear to him like that and wonders. Before he can say anything on that, Nita is speaking up and he looks over at her with a smirk.]

It'd only smell if the bottle broke all over the place, wouldn't it?

[He looked back at Bucky and shrugs.]

I don't know. Is there anyone on the purple team that you think needs one? Otherwise we hold on to it for when the next group of people show up and give it to the kids. And you have 24. Can you not read either?

[unfavorableinstigation]

If it's strong enough, it can!

[Though Nita's speaking of experience regarding beverages not human in origin.]

... Still, the bear's easier to read than whatever the other thing is. The word is like stethoscope but I know it's not that one...

[Nita trailed off muttering, then seemed to shake it off.]

[luckybucky]

Stereoscope. They were used for some parts of training in the army. [He looks back at Tony, reaching out to try and snag the stereoscope from him.] I bet Inigo'd like one. What about Peter? You're probably going to give him a red one, huh? [The biggest eyeroll, like Tony's being a drama queen or something.]

[runs_on_batteries]

It's okay sweetie, it's too stupid to remember what it's called.

[He looked at it again, before shaking his head.]

They really broke the bank account on you soldiers back then, didn't they? Is that why you were so bad at it?

[He lets Bucky have it without any resistance.]

Wait, they'd like one of those things or the bears? Because those things are stupid.

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Nita snorts.]

Not sure if you're talking to me or him.

[But she'll take offense on Bucky's behalf.]

... 'Stupid' might depend on what's on the stereoscope, though. Maybe there's clues as to where this thing's been?

['This thing' being the Voidtrecker Express itself.]

[luckybucky]

You do remember that I was a Howling Commando right? [And that Tony's dad had been their personal outfitter. All the latest and greatest.] And I was a great sniper, I'll have you know.

[He lifts the stereoscope to his eyes, clicking through a few screens with a hum.] Looks like it's just landscape pictu-- [he cuts himself off when he switches images again.] This one's definitely that valley where we fought the ice creatures. [He steps over to Nita, offering her the stereoscope so she can have a look if she wants.]

[runs_on_batteries]

[Tony laughs at Nita's comeback. And gave Bucky a smirk.]

She's feisty. I like her. Howling Commandos? No, can't recall. Is that a boy band you used to be a part of?

[He totally knows what the Howling Commando is, don't be fooled by this. He has an audience and someone he likes to make fun of in the same room. Who knows what's going to come out of his mouth next.]

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Nita takes that stereoscope while they keep talking, clicking through the pictures with interest.]

There's no people in these... which world was the one you recognized?

[Naminé had mentioned it before, too, and Padmé.]

Be nice if I recognized any of these other worlds...

Wait, who took these pictures?

[Nita briefly pulls the stereoscope away from her face and looks at it, considering.]

Maybe there was an at-range spell used for these, with a designated radius? Or a drone?

[Though that still doesn't explain why there's no people in them.]

[luckybucky]

[Bucky just rolls his eyes again, because the alternative is being mean and despite what it might sound like, he and Tony were actually getting along for once.] Very funny, Tony. You're hilarious. You should start an open mic night over the stupid screens so everyone can bask in your humor.

And the picture it was on when I handed it over is the one from our last stop. [He shifts the bear against his chest, so he can perch his chin on its head.]

[runs_on_batteries]

[He chuckles and gives Bucky a playful wink before turning his attention to the young lady.]

You should ask Light if you can look at the comic book she bought from the train a few months ago. She has it or.. maybe it's on the shelves here. It might give you some insight too.

[He goes over to check the bookshelf. After a moment, he pulls two books of the shelf and passes them over to Nita.]

Give these a read and let me know what you think.

[After he does that, he goes over to the train store and puts in his own ticket. After a moment a bear with a red hoodie pops out. He takes a few steps closer to Bucky and snatches the purple bear and shoves a red bear into his hands.]

Thank you for your donation... you big baby.

[unfavorableinstigation]

[Nita, much more slowly, clicks her way back to the first image she'd seen.]

Wow...

[There's no ice, but presumably this is how it was supposed to look, when there weren't ice monsters and weather machines around.

She pulls the stereoscope down again to give Tony a wry look.]

I think I've seen those already... but, thanks.

[She takes the books anyway. If a wizard ever turns down books, run.]

Wonder if there's a series of them or something?

[It's certainly something to put her own points toward.]

Meanwhile, about this,

[She shakes the stereoscope lightly, for emphasis, in Tony's direction.]

Want to take a look, see if you recognize anywhere? Thinking of running a scan on it, myself, see if I can find out how these were taken, if not when.

[luckybucky]

[Bucky blinks at the sudden bear-themed switcharoo, and flashes Tony the most awkward grin of his life, perching his chin on the new bear's head happily. It's the first actual gift he's gotten in about seventy years.] You call me a baby like you're not the softest guy on the train. [Don't mind him and the way he's beaming over the gift bear.]

[He doesn't dwell on it, at least, instead, turning his attention to Nita.] What do you mean, run a scan on it?

[runs_on_batteries]

[Tony rolls his eyes. He is soooo not acknowledging any of that.

He took the stereoscope and sighed at the private device. Lifting it up to his eyes, he was just about to look through it when Bucky asks his question. He pauses and says to her.]

Yeah, what he said.

[He then looks and is surprised by what he sees.]

This first picture is of Ciyesia. That was the first world we went to. We were told it was a 'training' world. It turned out to be quite a learning experience, so they weren't wrong.

'There's an app for that', etcetera.

[unfavorableinstigation]

There's a wizardry for it.

[That's the simple answer, but she knows they'll probably want to hear more than just that.]

It's just another way to run diagnostics. Cover our bases with more than just our eyes, y'know?

[Then there's Tony's own exposition.]

So you did get training?

[If only for the first few who were picked up...]

What did you learn, then? Any secrets of the Voidtreckers, or just what mission parameters were like?

[luckybucky]

[Bucky squints] That's... not a thing where we're from.

[He nearly tells her of course he got training, but he catches on in the nick of time. He can only stand to embarrass himself in front of Tony so much in one day.] I don't suppose you have a diagnostic for his head? [He jerks a thumb at Tony. See? He can totally keep up the jerk act, even after getting an adorable teddy bear.]