Last Train to London

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

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."

Comments

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Ominous…

“So…what kind of place was it?”

[throughthelookingmax]

"Like a cafe or something. And someone who looked just like Donatella was there, except they were a boy."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

Reigen’s lips were so tight they could have compressed steel between them. “You don’t say.”

[throughthelookingmax]

"Yeah, he said he didn't have a sister, either."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

“And, uh, was he anything like our Donna outside appearances?”

[throughthelookingmax]

"Not really. He was a lot more intense."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

That was hard for Reigen to picture. Doppio was second only to Mob in how passive he was. Reigen murmured thoughtfully to buy himself a little time to think about his response but—

Click. The van’s back door unlatched. It was quiet but impossible to miss with how still their snowy patch of woods was.

“…Oh! Donna.” He waved. “Hey, second watch hasn’t started yet…”

[espresso_doppio]

Silently, Doppio joined them in the covered space. His expression was hard to read in the hard shadows the fire created. He slowly sat to kneel—and then threw his upper body forward in a deep bow.

“I’m sorry! I couldn’t sleep and I heard you were up, Miss Caulfield, and I was going to check on you but…I eavesdropped instead.”

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

‘Dogeza!?’ Reigen barely remembered teaching him that.

[throughthelookingmax]

Max shook her head. "It's fine," she said. "If I wound up traveling with you long term... it probably would have come up eventually."

[espresso_doppio]

Doppio slowly lifted his head. His hair was loose and messy from his failed attempts to sleep and he brushed some behind his ear. "...You said you saw someone who looked like just me when you disappeared. Right?"

[throughthelookingmax]

"Yeah."

[espresso_doppio]

“I see.” He thought for a moment and then nodded towards the van. “If it’s okay, I’d like to ask more about it…in the morning. For now, you should try to rest up inside. Um…you can have my bunk.”

[throughthelookingmax]

"You sure? I already feel like I've been sleeping for a super long time."

[espresso_doppio]

"Forgive me for saying so, but I don't think being passed out outside counts as proper rest. Please. Oh, you too, Captain."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"Don't worry about it. I already said second watch is still a ways--"

[espresso_doppio]

"You've been up this whole time," Doppio cut in. "Besides, you're the driver. What'll happen if the driver is too sleepy to see straight? I slept on the road earlier today and I can do it again tomorrow. ...Oh, and you've been drinking, so..."

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"Fine, geez...was that last bit necessary?" Maybe this kid wasn't passive at all, Reigen thought. "Alright, Miss Caulfield. I'll show you where to, ah, curl up."

[throughthelookingmax]

Max's lips quirked up in a smile at Doppio's unexpected display of assertiveness. "Thanks," Max said appreciative. "You have somewhere comfy to sleep too, right?"

[mp_strikinglyblessed]

"Yeah, it's actually pretty cozy." Reigen wiggled his eyebrows, clearly proud of his efforts in arranging the space. The camper was way more versatile when they had a magical piece of paper to store the big things in. "The sofa against the back of the front two seats? That's mine. There's a futon to the right on the floor - that'll be yours for tonight."

[espresso_doppio]

"Just watch your head when you crawl in, please. Hitomi sleeps in the hammock above it." Doppio hoped he hadn't disturbed her when he snuck out. He began peeling the foil off a potato to dress it and roast it in the campfire for his late-night snack. "If you need water or anything, it'll be on the drop-down table to the left. Breakfast will be ready after sunrise."