Bombs Away | Jack + Fenna | Desert Island Car

Roadie 🪶Jack

While he’d mostly come up here for less publicly accessible hoodie-drying spots, Jack did have a tendency to climb on stuff just because he could. So even after getting the clothing all set up, he saw no particular reason to head back down. There were those tapes or whatever, but he wasn’t in any hurry to mess with them. Not if they were anything like the type he’d seen before.

Much nicer to just think about… coconuts. Food, first of all, something up here in the heights, second, and third…

He heard someone tromping around this way (well, tromping compared to his own tread, at least) and snickered silently to himself. Gripping a nice, sound coconut with a hand on either side, he leaned out where he’d still be obscured by the foliage. Extended his arms, held steady, steady…

And let it drop.

Fenna Van Daalen

Fenna was pacing aimlessly through the palm trees, really wishing she could have a smoke, when a coconut hit the sand directly in front of her with a low thump.

“Whadda hell…”

She was willing to accept it as just another stroke of bad luck… until she looked up and saw a combat boot hidden in the leaves, and some glowing green above it. There was only one person showing their number willy-nilly like that.

“What’s the big idea?! Yous coulda…”

Her voice dried up in her throat. Jack could have killed her. Was he trying to kill her? Maybe she should run. She seemed to have a “freeze” instinct rather than fight or flight, though.

Roadie 🪶Jack

Fenna Van Daalen a coconut hit the sand directly in front of her with a low thump.

Oop, looked like he missed. Well, Jack didn’t tend to throw things much, anyway. Too easy to feel like someone would…

Anyway. The look on her face was, uh, probably worthwhile. He couldn’t see it too great from up here.

Fenna Van Daalen “What’s the big idea?! Yous coulda…”

Ah, now that was a good reaction.

“Haha!” He pushed one of the leaves aside, enough to be more openly in view. He was still leaning out a little wobbly-like instead of shifting to a more stable perch, but eh. It was probably a good core workout or something, he didn’t know. He’d switch it up if he needed to.

“I coulda what? Wasted a coconut? Still be edible if it cracked, promise.”

Fenna Van Daalen

Roadie 🪶Jack “I coulda what? Wasted a coconut? Still be edible if it cracked, promise.”

“Yous coulda… Y’know what I mean!”

With an undignified grunt, Fenna picked up the coconut and hurled it back at Jack. She managed to launch it high enough, somehow, but her ghastly aim wouldn’t let it do more than brush against his boot. It hit the ground again with another thump.

At least it seemed like Jack didn’t have that kind of ill intent… Satisfied for now, she retrieved the coconut again to inspect it. Sounded like there was plenty of liquid inside.

“Hmmm… Ya seen any pineapples?”

Roadie 🪶Jack

Fenna Van Daalen “Yous coulda… Y’know what I mean!”

Jack just raised an eyebrow at that. Sure, lady, he could read your mind. Which of them had delusion issues here?

He watched the coconut coming, and it sure wasn’t looking to be a threat. So he stayed poised precisely the same way as it came and fell, just for the bit. Even if this was starting to get a little tiring.

He tilted his head in a mockery of deep thought. “Hmm… Seems like you’re not accountin’ for wind shear, ’s your main problem.” Was that a thing with coconuts? Heck if he knew.

“But in the end, this stuff always boils down to a posture issue. So chin up, keep trying! Bet you’ll be able to hit the broad side of a trunk in a couple short years!”

Fenna Van Daalen “Hmmm… Ya seen any pineapples?”

“Oh, several, but they weren’t actually there.”

“Why, you hopin’ to start up a pina colada business?” He did not remotely pronounce that right. “Some’a these guys are a little, ah, loose with their money.”

Fenna Van Daalen

Fenna lobbed the coconut at him again, but with less success this time– she was definitely not accounting for wind shear. Another thump. Surprising it hadn’t cracked yet.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Oh, several, but they weren’t actually there.”

“…The hell is that s’posed ta mean?”

His last comment did earn something adjacent to a laugh, though.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Why, you hopin’ to start up a pina colada business?”

“Ha, fer that I’d need limes too, and a blender, and rum, and ice, and glasses– nah I was gonna mix up the world’s worst fuckin’ chunky lukewarm Bahia fer myself. Gettin’ tired a the plain vodka.”

She waggled the steel flask in her hand. At least one precious item hadn’t gotten lost in the shipwreck.

Roadie 🪶Jack

Jack snickered.

“Yeah, still missed.” Thanks. “Maybe we’re gonna hafta make ya a back brace or somethin’.”

Fenna Van Daalen “…The [heck] is that s’posed ta mean?”

He frowned slightly—ah well. That was probably a bit much, huh?

"Oh… Y’know what I mean!” His impression of her accent was horrendous… hopefully on purpose? Or would that make it worse?

The mixology talk definitely went over his head, but he at least understood “plain vodka.”

“Dang, that little thing all you got? ’s like half a sip.”

What kind of alcohol tolerance did he have? Doooon’t worry about it.

Fenna Van Daalen

Roadie 🪶Jack "Oh… Y’know what I mean!” His impression of her accent was horrendous… hopefully on purpose? Or would that make it worse?

“You really just like… sayin’ shit, huh?”

Fenna doesn’t dignify most of Jack’s antics with a proper response, but his attempt at a flex gets a laugh out of her. She could drink that pipsqueak under the table… she’s pretty sure, anyway.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Dang, that little thing all you got? ’s like half a sip.”

“I knowwww, I’ve had ta ration it out dis whole time! What’re the chances we get a brewery car next?”

“…Wait, ya would know, wouldn’t ya? Is dere a brewery car?!”

Roadie 🪶Jack

Fenna Van Daalen “You really just like… sayin’ shit, huh?”

“Might as well say it while ya still can!” That was… some kind of philosophy, sure.

While Jack didn’t have much comment to make on rationing booze, he was still listening enough to catch the question. Ohoho, asking for his expertise? Uh-huh, uh-huh.

Finally giving up on the strained leaning-out position, he slipped around to hang from his knees upside-down.

“Well, first off, you don’t run into the same one twice too often. Cars rearrange, sure, but…” He watched the latest coin slipping across his fingers. “Lessee… brewery, huh? Can’t say I’ve heard any rumors a’ one, but Denizens don’t leave their own cars much, anyway. Ya just don’t get a lotta warnin’ ‘round here.”

He tossed the coin up and caught it with a snap. “There was this weird, like uh, Dutch bar party thing once? So ‘s not unheard of to get your hands on some booze.”

“Or d’ya specifically gotta brew it yourself? Guess that’s probably what they’d make ya do in a brewery car, anyway.”

Fenna Van Daalen

Fenna watched Jack shift around in the tree like a monkey, a little more bemused than afraid now. Not that she didn’t think he could kill her at any second, but the motivation didn’t seem to be there. Maybe she could sift some useful info out of his bullshit, too.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Or d’ya specifically gotta brew it yourself? Guess that’s probably what they’d make ya do in a brewery car, anyway.”

“Make my own booze? Do I look like dat kinda asshole?”

She laughed, but it was a bit clipped.

“So it really is always dis random, huh… But if the ‘Denizens’ don’t leave their cars much like ya say, what’s up wid the cat? Ya seen anything like it?”

“Or… dat thing? The big white fluffball?”

She gestured in the vague shape of the Creature. What do you even call it?

Roadie 🪶Jack

Haha, imagine having motivation. You’d have to pay him for that.

Fenna Van Daalen “Make my own booze? Do I look like dat kinda [butthole]?”

“Ha! Why, what should one look like?”

Fenna Van Daalen But if the ‘Denizens’ don’t leave their cars much like ya say, what’s up wid the cat? Ya seen anything like it?

Jack returned his attention to the coin in his hand for a bit. Always a little trickier to do this upside-down—though not by much. Probably more an issue of the blood running to his head than anything.

“Ehh, not in particular? Seen other cats, but not like that. Robots, too, but none that match them, ’r the boxy one. Least as far as I can remember, which is, uh. Ha.”

Fenna Van Daalen “Or… dat thing? The big white fluffball?”

“Hey, the skies may never be quite right in this place, but they do got clouds in some a’ these. I’m sure I’ve seen some cotton balls before, too… Spa car, maybe?” Thanks.

Fenna Van Daalen

Roadie 🪶Jack “Ha! Why, what should one look like?”

“Oh y’know, they’re a type a guy, right…”

…Fenna caught herself this time before she started attempting to pantomime a neckbearded microbrewery owner.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Seen other cats, but not like that. Robots, too, but none that match them, ’r the boxy one.”

“Now I wonder about dat. R.N.A. woke up wid us like everyone else… And I think I saw ’em wid a tape–”

Roadie 🪶Jack “Hey, the skies may never be quite right in this place, but they do got clouds in some a’ these. I’m sure I’ve seen some cotton balls before, too… Spa car, maybe?”

“I’m talkin’ about the big damn beastie that’s been followin’ us! Are ya daft or– bah, yer just pullin’ my leg again. Why do I even bother.”

Fenna huffs and adjusts her now stained boa, wondering if her scattered thoughts would be better bounced off of someone else. At least this guy was liable to forget anything she said?

Roadie 🪶Jack

Fenna Van Daalen “Oh y’know, they’re a type a guy, right…”

Unaware what was supposed to be going on here, Jack snorted. “What, no women allowed? They still do that kinda thing where you’re from?”

Spiriting the coin away, Jack let his arms dangle. Somewhere besides his head for the blood to rush to for a bit. Perseverance strats, or something.

Fenna Van Daalen “Now I wonder about dat. R.N.A. woke up wid us like everyone else… And I think I saw ’em wid a tape–”

“What, like you can’t touch somebody else’s tape?”

He snorted. “I mean, good luck gettin’ your hands on mine, but that’s not a Train thing, y’know?”

Fenna Van Daalen “I’m talkin’ about the big [dang] beastie that’s been followin’ us! Are ya daft or– bah, yer just pullin’ my leg again. Why do I even bother.”

Correct. Nobody needed to bother with him.

“Hey, you asked if I saw anything like it, didn’tcha?”