Topic: TRAIN

[noirlax]

[MAP] [Kirika] [Myshkin]

The waiter returns with your food and drinks, "Eggs Benedict and a Bloody Mary.", he sets the order in front of Mireille.
"Pancakes and Fruit. And for your drink the chef recommended the hot cocoa spiked with rum.", he sets the order in front of Kirika.
"Blue rare fillet.", he places the order in front of Myshkin, "Also, my apologies, I forgot to take your drink order. What can I get you, sir?"

While the waiter is taking Myshkin's order, you notice a man walk into the restaurant. He looks familiar.
As he passes your table you take a better look at him. You definitely recognize him. It's Milosh Havel.
The painter you met at the park a few times, in Paris, until Mireille warned you not to see him again.
You remember him saying how he used to be in the Foreign Legion. That must be why he's here.
He doesn't seem to notice you. He sits at the bar, next to the man who was already there.

Once the waiter leaves,  Mireille finally relaxes and starts eating. She takes a sip of her drink.
"Hmm, not bad. I heard the food and drinks on this TRAIN were different, so cybernetics can eat it too."
"I was honestly expecting it to suck, but it's actually pretty good.", she admits, "What do you think?", she asks Kirika.

While Mireille and Kirika are talking, the DOG from the table across you approaches your table. He doesn't make a sound but he stares at Myshkin and wags his tail.

*thinking about Milosh, I was told not to see him again, but it's been so long. I can't remember why. I'm not really giving Mireille her attention to day as your eyes fixate on Mireille's fine curves*
*takes a sip of her drink hot cocoa which is rather comforting and the rum adds a touch of excitement to it*
*Kirika takes a small bite of the pancake, strawberries and blueberries on her pancake and enjoys it. She expects the TRAIN to be good since it's an expensive ride*
"Well Mireille I was expecting it to be good, this is an expensive ride after all." Kirika says as she softly chews on her pancakes.

[MartAnimE]

[MAP] [MADLAX]

"This is MADLAX.", Vanessa introduces you to Margaret and Laetitia, noticing your slight discomfort with the situation, "She's traveling with me, as my bodyguard."
You know it's relatively common for elite investors, such as those aboard TRAIN, to be targeted by criminals. Revealing as much probably won't cause any suspicion.
"We would love to join you.", Vanessa replies to the invitation, "Unfortunately, we have some rather urgent business to discuss in private. We'll definitely catch up later!"
Margaret smiles and nods gently, with no hint of disappointment, "Okay, we'll see you later.", she waves goodbye, grabs Laetitia's hand, and walks towards the restaurant.

Vanessa lets out a sigh of relief as soon as the pair walks out of sight. She then whispers to you, making sure no one else can hear her words.
"Don't get me wrong, MADLAX. Margaret's a really good friend of mine and I'm very happy to see her, after all these years.", she explains.
"But we still don't know if we're being targeted by Enfant.", her expression darkens, "Until we can be sure, I can't put her in danger."
You enter the restaurant. You look around and assess the room, taking the first table on the right, far away from everyone else.
You strategically sit against the wall. You have a good view of the entire car. It'll be near impossible for anyone to ambush you.

The MENU appears on a screen on the table in front of you. While you're browsing, a robot waiter appears to take your order. "Welcome to TRAIN Restaurant & Bar."
"You may input your order on the screen in front of you. Please let me know if you got any special requests, food allergies, or dietary restrictions. Thank you."

[MartAnimE]

[MAP] [Myshkin]

The waiter returns with a bowl of milk for you. You devour your blue rare fillet, it's the best meal you've ever had.
Mireille and Kirika are lost in conversation, but you notice a presence. Something, or someone, is watching you closely.
You finish your milk and look to your left. It's a... robot? A DOG (Digitally Optimized Guard), to be precise. A robot dog cop.
You're naturally not very fond of dogs, but at least this one's not programmed to chase you, unless you're breaking the law.
You wonder if he's here for Kirika and Mireille, given their shady past, but he's focused entirely on you, and happily wagging his tail.
This type of robot doesn't speak. You're not sure how to approach him. Before you can say anything, he snatches your collar and runs off.
He's running down the aisle towards CAR 3. You quickly take chase, eager to retrieve your collar. You won't be able to talk without it, after all.

[MartAnimE]

[MAP] [Elenore]

You sit at the desk in your room and check your emails. There's your daily Wilfong Cybernetics Newsletter, and a welcoming email from Bee City representatives.
Nothing that requires your reply or immediate attention. It seems you have a lot of free time on your hands to just relax and take your mind off of work.
As you ponder what to do next, you hear a sudden loud noise coming from the room next to yours. You hear yelling, cursing, banging on the walls.
Your enhanced hearing can pick up more detail than a regular human could. The voices sound like two young boys, but they're not human.
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Yes! Die! Die! Die!", the first voice laughs maniacally. "Nooooo! Damn it! Stop!", the second voice responds, in panic.
It sounds to you like a fight, potentially a murder attempt. You could try calling for help but it might not arrive fast enough.
With your enhanced skills, you could probably break the door or simply hack the electronic lock and enter the room.

[MartAnimE]

[MAP] [Doon]

Limelda gives you a sultry look, "Alright, you naughty boy, I'll bite.", she tastes your sausage, rather seductively.
"But you better shape up and clean your plate, or you won't have any energy for later...", she teases you.
You continue your shameless flirting, between bites of food and sips of whiskey. Limelda finishes first.
She looks at you and smiles confidently, fully expecting you to pay the bill like a proper gentleman.
She puts her hand on yours, caressing it. You can feel the temperature rising. She wants you.

"Maybe we should take this back to my room.", she suggests, but before you can answer...
"Wait! Where the hell...?", Limelda curses, looking around the restaurant with a panicked look.
You can feel the atmosphere in the room growing cold by the second. You were just about to score too.
"That stupid mutt!", Limelda yells. You realize she's looking for her partner DOG, who left the table a while ago.
"Sorry, Mr Doon, perhaps some other time...", she quickly dismisses you and leaves the table in a hurry, heading to CAR 3.

[MartAnimE]

[MAP] [TSUKASA]

SUBARU is about to say something, but she looks at your face and does a double take, "Hmm, TSUKASA...", she holds back her giggles, trying not to be rude.
You're not sure what she's laughing at, but you know SUBARU isn't the type to make fun of people. She pulls out a napkin and gently leans forward towards you.
"I'm sorry for laughing, but you looked so funny just now...", she makes sure your milkshake mustache is completely wiped off before sitting back down on her seat.
There's an awkward silence as the two of you compose yourselves. You might have noticed a slight blush on her face, if you weren't so taken by your own embarrassment.
SUBARU takes a couple more bites off her burger, then goes back to answering your question, "Oh right, I would love to go for a walk and explore the whole TRAIN after lunch."
"With you.", she invites tentatively, brushing a lock of hair off her glasses, "If you're not too busy, of course.", she adds, in a friendly yet polite tone, "The artificial garden sounds lovely."

[MartAnimE]

[MAP] [Kirika]

Mireille smiles and looks at you warmly. You always had your way of tempering her cynicism, something she was just now beginning to appreciate.
"You're right, Kirika. This is the most luxurious place we've ever stayed at. Let's enjoy it to the fullest.", she raises her drink to you in a toast.
Mireille takes a couple more bites, cleaning her plate, then downs the rest of her drink. She waits for you to finish then pays for the bill.

"Why don't we check the TRAIN's library next? Figured I'd catch up on some reading.", Mireille suggests.
She seems ready to leave the restaurant, but you just now noticed something: Myshkin is gone!
It seems, while you and Mireille were busy talking, he managed to sneak out of the table.
You bring his absence to Mireille's attention, but she doesn't sound terribly concerned.
"Well, he's an adult, isn't he?", she asks, actually unsure about how old Myshkin is.
At 9 years of age, Myshkin is definitely an adult cat, but you can't help worrying.
He's smarter than the average cat, but you wonder if you should look for him.

[Forlorn Hope]

[TSUKASA] "I suppose I could fit that in.." *eats the rest of her food and finishes her shake, taking care to not get another milk mustache* "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

[noirlax]

[Doon]: I'll love to see you again then we can DOG it in style! *Doon hurriedly replies as Limelda takes off*
*Doon thinking .... stupid DOG, bet it's packing heat like me! Well there's other women around and he scans the room*
*He sees Kirika and Mireille across his table and tries to approach them*

*Meanwhile Kirika thinks about where to go and sees Doon*

[Kirika]: I guess you're right Mireille, I can search for him if he doesn't return later.

[Doon]: Hello girls *In a leering smile*

[Kirika]: Um hello, sorry I gotta go. *hurries Mireille to go to the library*

[Pulsen]

Knowing that there are trained security personnel Elenore contacts security and sends the audio data from the other room.

[MartAnimE]

[MAP] [Myshkin]

You keep chasing DOG. You thought he'd keep running into CAR 3, but he takes a turn right towards the restroom instead.
At least he's cornered now, you think. You enter the bathroom a few seconds after he does. You look around, but it appears empty.

[MartAnimE]

[MAP] [TSUKASA]

SUBARU finishes her meal and insists on paying for everything, since she's the one who invited you.
You leave the restaurant together and walk towards the front of the train, entering CAR 3. "Oh this is the library!", SUBARU remarks.
"I read about it on their website, they made it all traditional media, for the full vintage experience. Was there anything you wanted to check while we're here?"

[MartAnimE]

[MAP] [Kirika]

Mireille notices Doon trying to initiate a conversation, but she decides to ignore him due to your urging.
You both enter the library and head towards the books section. Mireille starts browsing while talking to you.
"Who was that man who approached us earlier?", she asks you in a casual yet private tone, "Do you know him?"

[MartAnimE]

[MAP] [Doon]

The young Japanese girl acknowledges you, but she excuses herself hastily.
The tall blonde woman throws you a piercing look, but decides to ignore you too.
The two leave the restaurant, heading towards CAR 3. It seems they're avoiding you.

[MartAnimE]

[MAP] [Elenore]

A few minutes after you sent your message, the shouting in the next room stops abruptly.
You're not sure if that's a good or a bad thing, but at least you got some peace and quiet again.
You go back to focusing on your emails when you hear someone knocking on your door rather urgently.