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:

throughthelookingmax

"A shamisen?" Max had never heard of anyone playing that before. "I play guitar. If we manage to find them, maybe we can start our own traveling band."

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

Reigen forced himself back onto his feet to root around in the back of the van. "Like we're bards or something? Well...plenty of inspiration in a crazy world like this. Maybe we'll even find some hunky hero to sing about. Or heroine."

He found it by the biggest beanbag--the shamisen. He had insisted on bringing it on the trip with him--his last business trip, that was. He picked it up to warm the skin of it with his hands.

'Master, why're you bringing that? Weren't you just saying we had to travel light?'

'Mob, what kind of question is that? This is for the Hibagon.'

'Does it like music or something?'

'Dunno.'

'Oh...so then why are we bringing it?'

'So we can find out. ...Don't give me that look. No one knows much about it. Haven't you heard of Amaterasu and the dance of Ameno-uzume-no-Mikoto? Or Orpheus and Cerebus? '

'What if it doesn't like it?'

'C'mon, think positively. Then we'll know more about it than we did before.'

Reigen scoffed. The truth was he wanted those lessons in college to mean something to someone other than himself. He returned with it in tow and laid his blanket out on the ground to kneel properly.

"I'm a little rusty, so...be gentle with me, okay?"

From:

throughthelookingmax

"Wait, you actually have one?" Max was obviously surprised. "Yeah, no judgment. Promise."

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

The snow was falling in full-bodied flakes now, thick and lazy. He fidgeted to situate himself. The ground was at least soft and insulated beneath the blanket thanks to all the fallen pine needles. Reigen held his fingers to the fire to warm them up--the melody he had in mind required a light and delicate touch.

Reigen strummed the bachi against the strings. The notes began softly, tentatively even. The rhythm was slow and uneven much like the first few flakes before the snowfall. The melody hit it's stride, measured and sparse. Each pluck lingered as if drawing out the anticipation of what was to follow. Then, it quickened. His fingers resisted the chill that threatened to settle into them again as they picked up the tempo, a tremolo rising and rising until it became one long and resonant note. Then, as quickly as it had risen, the sharp edges of the notes softened and thinned. His fingers coaxed the last notes of the melody out in a gentle rippling sigh that hung in the air before fading away.

Swallowing, Reigen bowed his head, as was traditional.

From:

throughthelookingmax

Max applauded. "That was good." She hoped it didn't sound sarcastic or demeaning. She really meant it.

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

Reigen was grinning when he raised his head, exhaling thick jet of steam. “Not too much for a first date?”

From:

throughthelookingmax

Max laughed. "If that's what you want to call it."

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

He returned to his seat and fell back inelegantly. “First and the last. Gotta make it count.”

From:

throughthelookingmax

"And hopefully the first of many," she said. "You seriously haven't met anyone this whole time you had interest in?"

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

“I’ve been on dates back home, just not here. It’s just that… …” Reigen rubbed his face and let his head fall back. The empty sky was somehow spinning. “It’s been awhile. I graduated and now I have a business and a kid and a—well not my kid. He’s my student. You’re a teacher, right? You know how it is.”

From:

throughthelookingmax

"Yeah, but I don't let students keep me from dating."

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

“Well, unlike me, you’re a catch.”

From:

throughthelookingmax

"Are you kidding me? Have you looked in the mirror?"

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

Reigen worked his jaw from side to side.

"...Okay, fine. I am pretty handsome." He sighed. "My face is the money-maker, though! I can't get clients without being groomed and a decent smile."

From:

throughthelookingmax

"Good. So you admit you're a catch also."

From:

espresso_doppio

"The Captain is a total catch!" Doppio piped up from nearby, just barely visible by the campfire's light. He was struggling to stand straight with an enormous bag, but he had more than enough energy for this topic.

From:

mp_strikinglyblessed

Reigen shrieked and leapt five feet out of his chair. "What the...were you two listening!?"

From:

throughthelookingmax

"See, the kid agrees."

From:

aoihitomi

"I think so too," Hitomi said, more timidly.

From:

espresso_doppio

“You’re handsome, you’re smart, you’re cool, you’re patient…” Doppio paused, remembering he was in girl mode. “Not that I’m interested but, yknow, just in case anyone nearby is…!”