video; after new arrivals

[sos_pilot]

Hey hey, party people! For all you new cats and kittens, the name's Della Duck! And... someday I will think of a less embarrassing way to introduce myself. Not today.

Anyway! I know time's on a big pause button or whatever back home, but if it wasn't, you know what my world would be celebrating later this month? Only the best holiday ever made - Halloween! Dressing up in costumes, free candy, and scaring the pants off everyone! If you wear pants, anyway.

I know world-hopping and all those kinda shenanigans make celebrating holidays harder, but... it's Halloween. We gotta at least try. It'll be on the last day of the month, so, plenty of time to prepare if you wanna chip in! We need to use one of the big carriage, gotta make a lot of sweets, and go to town on stitching up costumes.

Now, for those of you who have no idea what Halloween is... you've got my sympathies, I'm so sorry. But here are some highlights!

One -  Haunted Houses. Again, can't go the extra mile 'cause... train. BUT I'm sure we can come pretty close! Things popping out at you, spooky noises, fear pumping through your veins!

Two - Trick or Treating. Usually this is for the little kids. They go from house to house, knock and say "Trick or Treat!" and then get candy. Still no houses, but I say who needs 'em! If a kid says it on that special day, we should have plenty of candy to go around for the tykes... or for the tykes at heart.

Three - COSTUMES! Be someone or something you're not! The sky's the limit! This year I had planned to go on "matching opposites" costumes with my twin brother, like we did when we were younger - I'd be a devil, he'd be an angel - but since he's not around, what will I be? That's a surprise. Cause I haven't thought of it yet.

If you've got any questions, or suggestions, lemme know! Let's make this the best Halloween the train's ever had!

Comments

[ramengroupie]

[ Ken is familiar with Halloween.

One could almost say he is already in the spirit of the season, considering he is wearing an ENORMOUS LARVA as a hat.

Thus, he asks a completely unrelated question! ]

What do you mean by "a big pause button"?

Ken-chan, I want candy.

[ Enormous TALKING larva that LIKES CANDY as a hat. ]

[sos_pilot]

[ Yeah, her eyes are definitely not on Ken's face. ]

... First? Nice hat.

Second, it's kinda my own theory, but basically whenever we go back is the same time as we left, so it's like we never left at all. I've gone on many world-hopping experiences myself, so it's a pretty standard hypothesis.

[ramengroupie]

I see. The flow of time runs differently.

[ That...had been the case in his worlds once, hadn't it? He thinks it might have, the first time he traveled to the Digital World. His memories of those events are inconsistent due to sloppy writing unclear.

And if she's right, and that's how things work for the Voidtrecker Express...which already definitely has time-manipulation powers at play, considering he arrived at one age and someone else he knows arrived at another....

Then back home, his parents won't... ]

That's reassuring.

So we can take the time to have candy?

[ Talking bug hat with the REALLY important questions. ]

[sos_pilot]

Well, again, it's only a theory...

... A theory that is so hard to think about when you have a super adorable bug on your head - DUDE TELL ME ABOUT THE BUG.

[ Look there's only so much curiosity she can contain. ]

[ramengroupie]

A-ah...

[ Sorry, stuck being sheepish at getting ahead of himself - he's usually the one weighing probabilities so this is rather embarrassing - having trouble switching trains of thought...

The bug in question, however, has just been called "super adorable" and therefore has no issues whatsoever. He beams. ]

I'm Wormmon! Ken-chan's partner Digimon!

[ What else have people wanted to know about him, uh.

....Oh, he can't resist. ] Hey, am I really adorable? Really??

[sos_pilot]

I'm no liar, Wormmon! It's so nice to meet you! And Ken too, of course.

Trust me, if I was there in person with you? It'd be super hard to stop me from smushing those widdle cheeks of yours.

[ramengroupie]

Ehehehehehuheeee.

[ Wormmon giggles like an absolute loser. A giddy, awkward loser.

And from the look on Ken's face, he adores it. ]

If you wanted to see him in person, I could meet you somewhere. Which car is that?

[ He has to learn the train's layout anyway. Doing so as part of Wormmon making a new friend appeals. ]

[sos_pilot]

I was about to head to the dining car for lunch. You two hungry?

[ramengroupie]

Dining car?

[ This is quite possibly one of the only things that could have stopped Wormmon's giggle fit in its tracks. His eyes are wide with anticipation.

...Which is Ken's cue. This is as good a time as any to familiarize himself with the most common locations he'll need on the train, and Wormmon's new friend is, ah, speaking Wormmon's language. ]

We'll see you soon.

[sos_pilot]

[ Hard to miss the only Duck Woman in the train, so at the Dining Car, she sticks out like a sore thumb.

... Plus her dining manners are atrocious.]

Heyyyy, buddy and little buddy!

[ramengroupie]

Heeeeeyyyy!!!

[ It's whinier when Wormmon returns the call, but he's incredibly nasal for someone without a nose, so perhaps that's to be expected.

Still on Ken's head, he looks down to inform his partner: ] Ken-chan, we're "buddies".

We are. [ Ken looks for a good open seat near Della, preferably with a spot he can place Wormmon so the two can visit. Across from her...? ]

Sorry we're late.

[ It doesn't matter what would, or wouldn't, constitute "late". There was lots to see, or be distracted by, and thus Ichijouji Ken kept someone waiting.

Therefore, Ichijouji Ken is "late". ]

[sos_pilot]

No biggie! Take a seat, take a plate, we'll get to know each other.

[ There are three chairs, and three plates already full of whatever food Della could grab. She... didn't seem to care what it was, long as it was edible, so there may be all kinds of mish-mash stuff in there. ]

[ramengroupie]

You even prepared servings...

[ This is an - unusual assortment of food, yes. Ken is perhaps more used to this than many people would be, as he regularly attends group functions where Digimon are fed, and when feeding Digimon, anything goes.

Still, far be it from him to make this important a decision himself: ]

Which would you like, Wormmon?

Um....That one.

[ If there is a plate with even slightly more food than the other, that's the one Wormmon has chosen!

Boy and bug seat themselves appropriately. ]

Thank you for the meal.

[ Boy is hella Japanese! ]

[sos_pilot]

You're welcome!

Now, first question on the table...

[ She links her fingers together, asking with all dead seriousness ... ]

... Can I pet Wormmon?

[ramengroupie]

Yes.

[ The answer is firm and immediate. Wormmon even leeeeeans as far as his little body can leeeean, to facilitate this.

....Nothing really for Ken to say or do here, is there? ]

[sos_pilot]

[ Yay! Della leans over to give the good boy some pettings. ]

Awww, whose the cutest little buggie ever? You are!

[ But thankfully she doesn't intend to leave Ken out, asking a question to him. ]

So, what's a "digimon"?

[namethattune]

[Della has mentioned the words "theory" and "hypothesis" in conjunction with multiverse functionality, and that means she now has Siebren's full attention.]

Do you have any evidence to support your theory, aside from previous dimensional travel? Did your previous travels function in the same manner as the train?

[He's intense but not challenging her - he truly does want to know.]

[sos_pilot]

[ Della is visibly startled to be asked about this, and needs a moment to re-direct her thoughts. ]

Well, the train part is new. But my evidence was based on being told you can meet people from your past and future here - including your own self! I've met a younger and an older Alice Liddel, for example. Which goes into two parts.

One, there hasn't been any time-traveling paradoxical "never the selves shall meet" explosions.

And two, the future selves never mention "that time I went on a world-hopping train", nor do they mention anyone missing or gone for a long period of time in relation to it.

[namethattune]

[...ah. He notices that startle and tries to tone it down a bit; he's been informed that he can be rather intense in pursuit of a new theory, and evidently that has not changed.]

Apologies - multiverse theory is still only a theory in my dimension, so I find this all- [Even he knows exciting would be a poor choice of words at the moment.] -fascinating.

[That imparted, he takes a few moments to turn over the new information in his mind, brow furrowed. It's an intriguing theory, but earlier information acquired from Seto in the library gives him pause.]

It's a compelling theory, though I do have one concern. I've been informed of the existence of semi-parallel dimensions - dimensions that are similar in the broad strokes but differ in the details. If there is no memory or mention of the train in the future version of a person, is it not then possible that the past and future versions are in fact two separate people from two separate but closely related dimensions?

1/2

[sos_pilot]

Oh, I'm familiar with that concept as well! And it's definitely been a consideration! I suppose you could say it's more of a gut feeling at this point...

2/2

[sos_pilot]

Cause, y'see, if I was separated from my family for ages again just as they were willing to forgive me the first time it happened, and once more I'd lose the chance to see my children growing up and all precious bonding time?

I'D LOSE MY MIND.

[ this. may not be... the path you wanna tread, pal. ]

[namethattune]

[Oh.]

[Oh he has made a mistake.]

[This is not a scientific theory meant to stand up to scrutiny; this is a coping mechanism for a mother separated from her children, and he has poked a hole in it. Ah.]

[He takes a few moments to think, still in wide-eyed surprise, before...well, giving this a try.]

Some time ago, I worked with a geneticist - Dr. Winston. He had a brilliant mind, and a very unscientific habit of trusting his gut feelings, sometimes over his data. The thing is, more often than not, his gut feelings were correct.

Perhaps yours work the same.

[It's something of an apology - an acknowledgement that he may have pushed too hard.]

[sos_pilot]

[ Thankfully that does the trick, as the Crazy Eyes and Crazy Voice seem to vanish. For now. ]

I thought so! Brains and heart are more connected than people think, heh heh!

[namethattune]

[Note to self: Duck Mom is volatile. Approach with caution if disagreeing with her statements.]

[Though Siebren can certainly relate to her next statement.]

Of course they are! The best research is born from passion.

[sos_pilot]

[ Smart thinking. ]

You got that right! And I'm sure we'll find all the answers we're seeking as long as we keep looking for them on this crazy train.