Re: Intense Struggle Season 2! (Round 2: Infinity Express)
10-29-2010, 12:42 AM
Originally posted on MSPA by MalkyTop.
Walking through the cars was eerie. Not because of how quiet and empty the hallways were as the train clacked on, apparently unaware that there was probably nobody to steer it, but because of those few times Sarika would actually run into a passenger, who were more often than not extremely bizarre and usually taking up more than half of the passage so that there was no choice but to push through them. The first time she had to do that, she was completely surprised she could pass through them and extremely disturbed. By the fifth time, she still couldn't get used to it. It really didn't help that they kept so still.
The bird woman passed quickly by all the side doors, not exactly wanting to walk into any more awkward situations. The doors were probably all locked anyways and even if they weren't, there was probably nothing useful at all. A hefty suitcase perhaps, full of strange clothing that could fit the odd proportions of the various aliens.
Then she reached the end of the car and her first obstacle. Yet another vaguely humanoid being was leaning against the door, engaging in an activity which Sarika assumed to be the equivalent of yawning. In fact, it may have been asleep. It was hard to tell under all the fur. She eyed the claws nervously even though they couldn't possibly hurt her.
Taking a deep breath as though she were diving under water, Sarika walked right through and grabbed the door. That was when she found out it was locked.
She jumped out of the frozen alien, shivering and coughing, wondering why the hell the door would be locked. Still feeling lightly like she had just gone through a cold slime bath, she tried to peer out the window. She couldn't see much at the awkward angle, but she could definitely see that the train continued on in this direction. Weren't passengers allowed to go between cars? Or was this a restricted one?
Whatever was behind the door, she had to get through.
She stared nervously at the door. She wasn't keen on breaking any more bones, and obviously just charging at it was just asking for just that. And she didn't have enough confidence in her staff to use it to knock the door down. She glanced around, hoping to find something that could possibly work as a battering ram, but she was quite sure that most anything that was large would be bolted down.
She stared at the lock. It sure looked breakable.
Standing off to the side, avoiding the alien as much as she could, Sarika aimed carefully and swung. She swung again. And again.
Apparently it wasn't quite breakable.
With a sigh, Sarika rested and shook her arm before kicking the door in frustration. She was completely caught off guard when the door swung open and she stumbled out, through the alien again (ugh) and onto the walkway between cars.
She suddenly remembered the fact that there was literally nothing outside the train and panicked a little before she realized that she was still well and alive. Apparently the train's creators had the forethought to protect their passengers as they walked between cars and had surrounded the walkway with a transparent, airtight, flexible tarp-sort-of thing. She had no idea why they made it transparent if there was nothing to see. She stared out and shivered again for a completely different reason before moving on to the next car. It was also locked, but a few knocks with her staff managed to force it open. Somehow.
She walked right through another person. Why were there all these people near doors. That's just annoying. Sarika shivered again and looked around at this supposedly restricted car. If she was hoping to find some dirty secrets, she was sorely disappointed. The room was fancy-looking, yes, but it seemed it was only a meeting room for a bunch of businessmen. Or, rather, businessthings. They were discussing something or another. Sarika tried peering over their shoulders at the table that was covered in paper but couldn't understand anything it said. So she moved on to the next door but suddenly paused and turned around again.
She thought she heard ticking. But listening now, she couldn't hear anything. It was just as silent as you would expect. She wondered if she was really being much too paranoid and walked through yet another alien (uuuugh). The door shut behind her so that she couldn't notice a briefcase that sat beside a horned alien sitting in a tub of goo. The briefcase was particularly interesting because, after a few long seconds, it ticked.
But that is something to talk about later on. For now, Sarika entered the next car (passing through a giant dog-alien thing, to her irritation). This car wasn't too interesting as well. There was at least one interesting thing about it, though. And that was Karen, who had been startled enough by the movement that she had whipped around, hands raised. Sarika had been startled enough to raise her staff (which, she couldn't help but notice, was woefully inadequate for this situation, that is, going against a person with a very sharp sword and fire magic).
The two stared at each other for a moment before slowly lowering their weapons of choice, recognizing the other as an ally. This didn't lighten the tension one bit. Both found it a little hard to think of some sort of conversation starter.
"Hi," Karen said.
"Hi," Sarika replied.
Walking through the cars was eerie. Not because of how quiet and empty the hallways were as the train clacked on, apparently unaware that there was probably nobody to steer it, but because of those few times Sarika would actually run into a passenger, who were more often than not extremely bizarre and usually taking up more than half of the passage so that there was no choice but to push through them. The first time she had to do that, she was completely surprised she could pass through them and extremely disturbed. By the fifth time, she still couldn't get used to it. It really didn't help that they kept so still.
The bird woman passed quickly by all the side doors, not exactly wanting to walk into any more awkward situations. The doors were probably all locked anyways and even if they weren't, there was probably nothing useful at all. A hefty suitcase perhaps, full of strange clothing that could fit the odd proportions of the various aliens.
Then she reached the end of the car and her first obstacle. Yet another vaguely humanoid being was leaning against the door, engaging in an activity which Sarika assumed to be the equivalent of yawning. In fact, it may have been asleep. It was hard to tell under all the fur. She eyed the claws nervously even though they couldn't possibly hurt her.
Taking a deep breath as though she were diving under water, Sarika walked right through and grabbed the door. That was when she found out it was locked.
She jumped out of the frozen alien, shivering and coughing, wondering why the hell the door would be locked. Still feeling lightly like she had just gone through a cold slime bath, she tried to peer out the window. She couldn't see much at the awkward angle, but she could definitely see that the train continued on in this direction. Weren't passengers allowed to go between cars? Or was this a restricted one?
Whatever was behind the door, she had to get through.
She stared nervously at the door. She wasn't keen on breaking any more bones, and obviously just charging at it was just asking for just that. And she didn't have enough confidence in her staff to use it to knock the door down. She glanced around, hoping to find something that could possibly work as a battering ram, but she was quite sure that most anything that was large would be bolted down.
She stared at the lock. It sure looked breakable.
Standing off to the side, avoiding the alien as much as she could, Sarika aimed carefully and swung. She swung again. And again.
Apparently it wasn't quite breakable.
With a sigh, Sarika rested and shook her arm before kicking the door in frustration. She was completely caught off guard when the door swung open and she stumbled out, through the alien again (ugh) and onto the walkway between cars.
She suddenly remembered the fact that there was literally nothing outside the train and panicked a little before she realized that she was still well and alive. Apparently the train's creators had the forethought to protect their passengers as they walked between cars and had surrounded the walkway with a transparent, airtight, flexible tarp-sort-of thing. She had no idea why they made it transparent if there was nothing to see. She stared out and shivered again for a completely different reason before moving on to the next car. It was also locked, but a few knocks with her staff managed to force it open. Somehow.
She walked right through another person. Why were there all these people near doors. That's just annoying. Sarika shivered again and looked around at this supposedly restricted car. If she was hoping to find some dirty secrets, she was sorely disappointed. The room was fancy-looking, yes, but it seemed it was only a meeting room for a bunch of businessmen. Or, rather, businessthings. They were discussing something or another. Sarika tried peering over their shoulders at the table that was covered in paper but couldn't understand anything it said. So she moved on to the next door but suddenly paused and turned around again.
She thought she heard ticking. But listening now, she couldn't hear anything. It was just as silent as you would expect. She wondered if she was really being much too paranoid and walked through yet another alien (uuuugh). The door shut behind her so that she couldn't notice a briefcase that sat beside a horned alien sitting in a tub of goo. The briefcase was particularly interesting because, after a few long seconds, it ticked.
But that is something to talk about later on. For now, Sarika entered the next car (passing through a giant dog-alien thing, to her irritation). This car wasn't too interesting as well. There was at least one interesting thing about it, though. And that was Karen, who had been startled enough by the movement that she had whipped around, hands raised. Sarika had been startled enough to raise her staff (which, she couldn't help but notice, was woefully inadequate for this situation, that is, going against a person with a very sharp sword and fire magic).
The two stared at each other for a moment before slowly lowering their weapons of choice, recognizing the other as an ally. This didn't lighten the tension one bit. Both found it a little hard to think of some sort of conversation starter.
"Hi," Karen said.
"Hi," Sarika replied.