fatealteration | Last Train to London

Reigen told himself that he'd celebrate every good thing that came his way from now on--no matter how small. He wouldn't celebrate it in want of something but for it's own sake. After all, there was no higher power to bargain with. It was just him.

Him and two kids.

Him and two kids and a giant VW Bus he was 60% comfortable handling. And a magical piece of paper that kept their entire lives packed neatly and lightly.

He kept reminding himself of how far he'd come in just a few weeks whenever he started really missing a nice matcha. He had Doppio on a strict assignment to look out for even the instant stuff. Every day was a new lesson in unpredictability but they'd found that there were clusters of stability. Some towns had mostly escaped the rupture unscathed and others were like patchwork from a monkey's hands. You just took what you got, hustled, and hoped for the best.

Today--today wasn't bad. They'd lucked out with a highway cutting through a sprawling plain with small patches of life in the distance. There was no telling how long the road would last, but word had spread across the town they'd just left that it went on for awhile. The street signs weren't in a language he recognized but it's not like they'd serve their purpose even if they did. Reigen spared a thought for all the taxpayer dollars gone to waste.

"Quartermaster," he snapped his fingers and adjusted the thick technicolor shades on his nose, "coffee me."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

“Someone who’s related to you by blood. Female.”

From:

throughthelookingmax

"I don't know why you're not being truthful. It's not like you're a bad guy." She was calling his bluff.

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

“That’s a weird vote of confidence. Are you telling me you can’t even see the resemblance?”

From:

throughthelookingmax

"Your faces are totally different."

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

Leave it to a photographer to pick up on the small differences, he thought.

“…You know, you got into this van pretty easily. You weren’t worried about who’d be inside?”

From:

throughthelookingmax

"Yeah, but I was worried about dying of thirst out there, too. I would rather take my chances somewhere that might have cool water."

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

Reigen just nodded as he stared ahead at the rain as it battered the road. Faith and luck was all anyone had. “…Regardless of what the truth is, they’re good kids. I haven’t known them for long, but I know that much.”

From:

throughthelookingmax

"Yeah. I'm pretty good at sussing out people and I don't get any bad vibes."

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

“Whether you’re around til the next stop or for the long haul, that’s the most important thing.” He shook his tumbler—it was out of coffee. “Oh, but if you’re planning on sticking around, then you’ll need a proper naval title. No exceptions.”