Bring a Knife to a Firefight | Atsuko + Jack | Lost Letters Car

Roadie 🪶Jack

Jack didn’t look like he was in any rush, but he didn’t really stop moving, either. At least, not for long, even when Atsuko approached. Though he’d been paying some kind of attention to his surroundings, the throat-clearing was appreciated. If she’d “snuck up” on him in this situation, the results could have been unfortunate for one or both of them.

Atsuko Samukura “…I would hope if you find one addressed to or from a ‘Samukura…’ you wouldn’t so carelessly toss it aside.”

“And I hope there’s at least a Panera gift card in one a’ these, but that one’s not goin’ so well.”

He did at least glance at the front of the next envelope. He then determined he had no idea how to spell the name she’d given that he was already starting to blank out on, so… not worth the trouble. Was there really so much difference between digging through un-crumpled piles for your name and digging through whatever mess he was making? He didn’t think so.

So his mission continued, doomed as it seemed to be. His hands didn’t slow as he looked over to her again.

“Oh, and congrats on the painting. Looked like I missed out on some real excitement there.”

Atsuko Samukura

Roadie 🪶Jack “And I hope there’s at least a Panera gift card in one a’ these, but that one’s not goin’ so well.”

Ah. So that’s how this was going to go, wasn’t it?

“…Are you just searching for money in these envelopes, then? We’ve already left that car with the gumball machine… and who knows if we should even get to keep anything we obtain here to take with us outside. That could be entirely in vain.”

If she was questioning whether or not any of these items would stay, why was she so dead-set on getting the painting, then?

“…And none of us will be taking anything with us off this train if we don’t leave this car. So should we be stuck on this car because you tore through someone else’s letter… they don’t seem like the type of people that would take kindly to that.” Atsuko herself, however, didn’t seem particularly fussed about it.

Secondly…

“…What is ‘Panera?’”

Jack’s hands never slowed. His knife was to him as Atsuko’s lighter was to her, it would seem.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Oh, and congrats on the painting. Looked like I missed out on some real excitement there.”

Atsuko clutched it tighter, making sure not to let it slip from her hands, should Jack or someone else attempt to take it from her again. Over her cold, dead body, perhaps.

“…Perhaps it was ‘excitement’ to you. To me, it was pure frustration. Taking something of mine that should belong to me, and expecting to get away with it…” It should have been hers all along. Thankfully for a certain someone who got a certain other item, she was too preoccupied with the painting to see it had been obtained. So there was one less fight to be had.

“…The end justifies the means, I suppose. It ended up in the right hands in the end.”

Roadie 🪶Jack

Atsuko Samukura That could be entirely in vain.”

Jack laughed.

“Oh, but can’t everything? When it all crashes and burns, at least I can say I kept busy.” Such high standards for life and himself.

He continued to the next envelope at the usual speed, parting the letter with two fingers for a comprehensive view inside. Still no cash or card, alas—but he froze a moment.

“—”

He shoved it in his hoodie pocket with none of his usual grace and grabbed the next letter. Move along. Keep busy.

Atsuko Samukura So should we be stuck on this car because you tore through someone else’s letter… they don’t seem like the type of people that would take kindly to that.”

“…Then they just gotta write one instead?” He shrugged. Had he been paying close attention to the instructions? The answer may (not) surprise you.

Atsuko Samukura “…What is ‘Panera?’”

“First eating place I could think of. You’re right, though, maybe I oughta aim for a steakhouse or somethin’. They do gift cards, don’t they?” Heck if he knew. He was more of a dine-and-dash type himself, for any establishments fool enough to serve him.

He just listened to the rest of her spiel with a grin and a nod. Wow, what a drama queen. He could appreciate that.

Atsuko Samukura

Roadie 🪶Jack “Oh, but can’t everything? When it all crashes and burns, at least I can say I kept busy.”

Atsuko supposed that was fair. It wasn’t like her modus operandi was entirely different. Although it was never just for the sake of keeping busy—just that she didn’t live with any particular future in mind.

Jack’s subtle pause was noticed by her, but she didn’t notice him actually pocket anything. Even if she had, she wouldn’t have cared enough to intervene. She knew better than most that people operating for their own motives are doing things for… well, their own motives. Herself among them.

Roadie 🪶Jack “…Then they just gotta write one instead?”

“…That wasn’t my point.” For a woman who was so uneducated about the finer things in life like Wowitt’s and Panera, she detested having her intelligence or understanding brought into question. “Whether or not there’s another way… they will just grow irritated. For going against what is expected. And according to some,” Okay, that was pointed. "That means ‘making yourself a target,’ so to speak.

“…but I could care less about that. And I imagine you feel similarly. In which case… it’s on deaf ears.” Everyone’s time has been wasted!

Roadie 🪶Jack “First eating place I could think of. You’re right, though, maybe I oughta aim for a steakhouse or somethin’. They do gift cards, don’t they?”

“…”

Atsuko wasn’t amused (or was that just her face?). Not even a ‘thank you’ for the explanation.

“…I suppose you haven’t found that ‘gift card’ yet.”

Roadie 🪶Jack

Atsuko Samukura

Atsuko Samukura "That means ‘making yourself a target,’ so to speak.

“A target? Oh, no!”

If Jack was gonna be a little shaken up for personal reasons—not that he was, mind you—he might as well use it to play into a cheap gag. Which he’d still drop in seconds.

“Oh, they can target me all they want, blondie.” He paused in his renewed surge of letter-opening to give his knife a little flip in the air and catch it in a reverse grip. “In fact, I welcome it. Let ‘em try something. Gives me somethin’ else to do, yeah?”

Atsuko Samukura “…but I could care less about that.

He snorted. Nice to have someone own up to it, though he wasn’t sure why she’d bothered bringing it up in the first place. Some people just liked to hear themselves talk, he guessed. He was among them, even if that was for… nonstandard reasons.

Atsuko Samukura “…I suppose you haven’t found that ‘gift card’ yet.”

He groaned. “Oh, don’t remind me. Maybe I oughta do this faster? I could hold ’em up to the light first, but there’s so many of those stupid trick envelopes these days that that doesn’t save much time…”

Crumple, toss, next letter.

“Or, you wanna help? I got another knife.” He what.

Atsuko Samukura

Roadie 🪶Jack “A target? Oh, no! Oh, they can target me all they want, blondie. In fact, I welcome it. Let ‘em try something. Gives me somethin’ else to do, yeah?”

“…”

Once again, Atsuko wasn’t amused. Perhaps it was because she likewise didn’t care about how she was perceived by those who claimed some moral high ground over her. Or perhaps it was because it felt like Jack refused to give her any ounce of solidarity when it was growing increasingly clear to her they were two of a very limited number of odd ducks on this train. Those who truly, truly, didn’t care. Those who would act for themselves and themselves alone.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Oh, don’t remind me. Maybe I oughta do this faster? I could hold ’em up to the light first, but there’s so many of those stupid trick envelopes these days that that doesn’t save much time…”

“…Are there really that many in circulation?” The man’s actions simply confused her. She still didn’t quite grasp what exactly it was he was searching for. “Unless you’re looking through only… certain mail.” Meh.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Or, you wanna help? I got another knife.” He what.

“…I don’t really do that. ‘Help.’ Unless there’s something in it for me…” Okay, Ms. Worked As An Innkeeper For A Living. “Depending on how flammable those… ‘gift cards’ are, there’s another way than just the knife, but…” Atsuko glanced around at the stacks upon stacks of letters in this car. “Good luck attempting to keep a fire… small and centralized, in a place like this.” And that only concerned her because there was no immediate escape for her. Not for the safety of anyone else.

“Perhaps if there’s anything you want rid of from this… mess you’ve created, I’ll hold onto it… to discard of once we leave this car.”

Roadie 🪶Jack

Atsuko Samukura

Atsuko Samukura “…Are there really that many in circulation?"

“See, that’s the issue. No telling what might be here in particular. But if this place’s seriously just letters, ’d be such a waste. Imagine an entire mail system that delivers nothing of actual value. Unbelievable.”

Atsuko Samukura “…I don’t really do that. ‘Help.’ Unless there’s something in it for me…”

“Oh, I’d expect no less!”

“But I can’t believe just getting to handle a genuine Jack knife isn’t enough for you…” He shook his head before laughing.

Atsuko Samukura “Depending on how flammable those… ‘gift cards’ are, there’s another way than just the knife, but…”

“Huh. Hadn’t thought a’ that. Got no idea how easy they burn, though.” And if this girl, who was clearly an expert on the matter, didn’t know, then there wasn’t much more to say about that. Unless they just wanted to start a whole scientific burning experiment here, but apparently that wasn’t a great idea, either.

Atsuko Samukura “Perhaps if there’s anything you want rid of from this… mess you’ve created, I’ll hold onto it… to discard of once we leave this car.”

“Ha! Maybe I’ll take you up on that.” His free hand started to stray towards his hoodie pocket before he caught himself and snapped up another envelope instead. “Not just gonna throw it out into the wasteland, are you? Tried it before, pretty boring.”

Atsuko Samukura

Roadie 🪶Jack

Roadie 🪶Jack “See, that’s the issue. No telling what might be here in particular. But if this place’s seriously just letters, ’d be such a waste. Imagine an entire mail system that delivers nothing of actual value. Unbelievable.”

“…I suppose the point is to be… emotional value, then.” But to be frank, there weren’t many letters she could receive that would make her feel any better. Perhaps Tsugiyoshi telling her everything is going fine back home, and that he missed her. Having the painting in her possession had her angry at papa in a way she hadn’t been since…

Roadie 🪶Jack “Oh, I’d expect no less! But I can’t believe just getting to handle a genuine Jack knife isn’t enough for you…”

“…”

Once again, Atsuko was not picking up what Jack was putting down. “…What’s so special about it? Do you… make them, or is it just the… ‘privilege’ of being allowed to handle one given by you…?” On the flipside, Atsuko would never in a million years give up her lighter to anyone else for any purpose.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Huh. Hadn’t thought a’ that. Got no idea how easy they burn, though.”

If it was actual gift cards they were talking, Atsuko knew quite well how they did. But Atsuko knew better than to trust Jack at his word at this point, so whatever else he might be looking for remained a mystery—thus, no estimates about flammability to be made.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Ha! Maybe I’ll take you up on that. Not just gonna throw it out into the wasteland, are you? Tried it before, pretty boring.”

So Jack might actually contribute? Fascinating. Maybe she’d gain at least something from being on this train after all.

“…Of course not. I have something of my own I plan on destroying…” Atsuko’s hand clenched around the painting, making sure not to lose it until she was free to get rid of it. “…just throwing it off the side would be too good for it. Someone stupid could still pick it up.”

With her free hand, Atsuko reached into her purse and retrieved her lighter. It lit easily with one quick, practiced stroke.

“…Where this thing is going… there won’t be anything left to take.”

Roadie 🪶Jack

Atsuko Samukura “…I suppose the point is to be… emotional value, then.”

“Ha! Emotions, having value? I’m not buying that one.”

Atsuko Samukura “…”

He cackled to himself at Atsuko’s blank look, but it only lasted a moment, anyway. Long enough for him to zip through another letter. So long, garbage. The digits on the back of his hand shifted again.

Atsuko Samukura “…What’s so special about it? Do you… make them, or is it just the… ‘privilege’ of being allowed to handle one given by you…?”

Ooh, what was the best angle for this one? Choices, choices. As with the envelopes, he just latched onto whatever he bumped into first.

“I mean, the privilege should be enough… But yeah, I make ’em. Well, made.”

“Lost the ol’ family forge in a tsunami couple years back, and of course there’re other places out there, but I’ve never quite gotten these to the same sharpness anywhere else. Couldn’t tell ya what the real difference is.”

“So it’s a pret-ty limited opportunity here. You sure you wanna pass it up, just like that?”

While he didn’t actually stop his envelope-slitting quest as Atsuko spoke, Jack was no longer paying attention to whatever automatic glimpses he got. He couldn’t help scanning the lighter as a possible target, but even if it did turn out to be valuable, he was in no rush to go after it. He didn’t favor arson over any other particular form of entertainment, but he could certainly appreciate the heart of Atsuko’s bit here. The malice, the drama, the edge.

“Well said. Don’t leave me outta the party, yeah?”

Atsuko Samukura

Roadie 🪶Jack

Content with her showing, Atsuko put her lighter away, back into her bag. She would be giving these people as few opportunities to take it from her as possible.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Ha! Emotions, having value? I’m not buying that one.”

And that was one thing they could agree on. Given Jack was being honest with her.

Roadie 🪶Jack “I mean, the privilege should be enough… But yeah, I make ’em. Well, made. Lost the ol’ family forge in a tsunami couple years back, and of course there’re other places out there, but I’ve never quite gotten these to the same sharpness anywhere else. Couldn’t tell ya what the real difference is. So it’s a pret-ty limited opportunity here. You sure you wanna pass it up, just like that?”

Fascinating, indeed. Atsuko was quite content getting Jack to talk this much—again, given he was being honest with her.

“…So are they or are they not at the same sharpness as before? If not, then would they not be the same as any other knife?” Even so, Atsuko understood. Her lighter was precious, irreplacable. For all intents and purposes, it was just a normal lighter. But that alone was enough. Perhaps, to Jack, it just being a knife was good enough for him.

“…Regardless. If it truly is as limited and precious as you say… Then I’m not sure if I’m someone you should be trusting one with.” A rare moment of ‘mercy’ from Atsuko, just for Jack! Both beloved and hated items burned just as well.

“…Anybody else on this train who might try something should hopefully have learned their lesson by now.” She’s talking about Arty.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Well said. Don’t leave me outta the party, yeah?”

“…It’s not like it’s some party people are ‘invited’ to…” In fact, Atsuko would argue some people got involved against their will, and sometimes, without them even knowing. But that was neither here nor there. “…These torn envelopes should make for nice kindling.” It wasn’t as though not having enough was any concern to her, but Atsuko was environmentally friendly like that, looking to minimize the trash output of this car.

…As if, right?

Roadie 🪶Jack

Atsuko Samukura

Atsuko Samukura “…So are they or are they not at the same sharpness as before? If not, then would they not be the same as any other knife?”

Ah, and she was actually keeping up the topic, huh. Well, Jack could, too.

“I can still sharpen ’em up fine, don’t you worry. Issue’s more like… Long as the material sets right the first time, you can get back to it pretty close. But a knife that’s inferior from the start is never gonna reach the same potential.” Did that make sense? Heck if he knew. They sure were words that went together, though.

Atsuko Samukura If it truly is as limited and precious as you say… Then I’m not sure if I’m someone you should be trusting one with.”

He probably felt that in a different way than intended, but he just winked at her.

“I dunno, if I’m gonna lend out anything limited and precious, it might as well be to a pretty girl, yeah?”

He had more or less recovered from the sight of whatever letter he’d stuffed into his pocket by now and had fully resumed the gift card search. Kindling ahoy.

Atsuko Samukura “…It’s not like it’s some party people are ‘invited’ to…”

“Well, I wouldn’t call a funeral a party, either, but people still get invited, don’t they? Not that I’ve been to many myself. Half the ones I know about, I’m the dead guy.” He’s just gonna say something like that and leave it, huh.

Atsuko Samukura

Roadie 🪶Jack

Roadie 🪶Jack “I can still sharpen ’em up fine, don’t you worry. Issue’s more like… Long as the material sets right the first time, you can get back to it pretty close. But a knife that’s inferior from the start is never gonna reach the same potential.”

If Jack intended to get Atsuko to drop the subject—mission accomplished. She didn’t care that much about it. She was just trying to figure out if he was spinning some web or if there was an iota of truth to it. And in the end, she still couldn’t quite say for sure. Rarely did someone fascinate her without being a source of frustration, forcing her to look inward.

Roadie 🪶Jack “I dunno, if I’m gonna lend out anything limited and precious, it might as well be to a pretty girl, yeah?”

“…”

If Jack was expecting anything other than that icy gaze… Sadly, he was going to be disappointed. She was truly an immovable object. But it wasn’t as though Atsuko didn’t think she was beautiful… But most comments on her appearance came from elderly tourists and not from people trying to flirt with her as was the case in, say, high school.

“…What’s your insurance that I wouldn’t get away with doing something with it that you don’t like? One of your other knives?” Atsuko wasn’t taunting Jack, but as the one person she felt some semblance of solidarity with on this train, she was wondering if he really understood her. It didn’t matter much to her either way.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Well, I wouldn’t call a funeral a party, either, but people still get invited, don’t they? Not that I’ve been to many myself. Half the ones I know about, I’m the dead guy.”

“…Just because you’re invited, doesn’t mean you have to go.” Atsuko never did as she did in the proximity of others. It tended to get bad, quickly, whenever someone happened upon her. But this train’s cars weren’t that long that she could truly isolate herself, were they? “That said, I’ve never been to a funeral. Nobody that I care about has died.” Okay, blunt. “…That I’ve been old enough to attend a funeral for, at least.”

Atsuko clutched the painting a little tighter.

“…Did you at least show up for your own funeral?” Atsuko didn’t even know where to begin, and it’s not like she was making a joke (she didn’t do that kind of thing), but it seemed like the logical thing to ask.

Roadie 🪶Jack

Atsuko Samukura

Atsuko Samukura “…”

Yeah, that was pretty much the normal response to This Guy calling you pretty. Good for her.

Atsuko Samukura “…What’s your insurance that I wouldn’t get away with doing something with it that you don’t like? One of your other knives?”

“You got it!”

He dropped his voice a bit, not that it wasn’t quiet enough already.

“I’m awful fast when I wanna be. Wouldn’t try anything with what’s mine if I were you.” He slashed another envelope open with a wicked grin. “But you’d never anyway, yeah? Seem smart enough.”

He’d lost track of what the throughline on the funeral part of the conversation was, so he just kinda nodded along as she spoke. There was a little exhale-not-quite-scoff in there somewhere, too, but it was subtle.

Atsuko Samukura “…Did you at least show up for your own funeral?”

“Not in the casket.” Beat. “…Yeah, I’m just messin’ with you on that one.”

“Like I could afford a funeral! Trust me, I’ve worked for mortuary services, and it’s nothin’ to sneeze at. Definitely not worth it if nobody’s even coming.” Despite the topic, his upbeat tone didn’t falter.

“ ’Sides, the bigger a deal ya make out of it, the more likely somebody is to figure out something’s wrong. Always best to run your scam and move on soon as you can.”

Atsuko Samukura

Roadie 🪶Jack

Roadie 🪶Jack “You got it! I’m awful fast when I wanna be. Wouldn’t try anything with what’s mine if I were you. But you’d never anyway, yeah? Seem smart enough.”

Ooh, a threat directed at her. People usually didn’t get to do that without being punished accordingly. So Jack was lucky to have had this conversation on the train and not outside. In fact, outside… she probably wouldn’t even give him a second glance, unless he was trying to pull a fast one on her. Perhaps it was because, with how he somewhat reminded Atsuko of home, how out of the ordinary was Jack to her?

“…I’m not the orange one that’s still bleeding beneath his bandages.” The orange one had a name, Atsukol. Be nice. “I’m not… that sheltered. These people are the ones who don’t understand anything…” Everyone except Jack seemed like they failed to understand the world they came from. Or perhaps that’s just what she kept telling herself

“…And same to you. Knives may not be my specialty… but I’m nothing if not spiteful. You’ve seen firsthand what I’m willing to do.” If Jack tried to take her painting or her purse away from her, there would be hell to pay. She wasn’t physically strong, but she wasn’t hopeless.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Like I could afford a funeral! Trust me, I’ve worked for mortuary services, and it’s nothin’ to sneeze at. Definitely not worth it if nobody’s even coming. ’Sides, the bigger a deal ya make out of it, the more likely somebody is to figure out something’s wrong. Always best to run your scam and move on soon as you can.”

“Somehow, I get the feeling you’ve worked for… many things.” Just as there were many things she wouldn’t trust him to work. Neither for the Hearth, nor for papa.

“I suppose you’ve made a habit of it, then. Doing whatever it is you do in one place, and moving to the next. Sounds…” Bad? Illegal? Immoral? “…like too much work. Too much to keep track of…” Okay. “How inconvenient it must be for you to be stuck on this train with nowhere to go, then.” Of course, there was always one out, wasn’t there?

Roadie 🪶Jack

Atsuko Samukura

No worries, it’s not like Jack remembered Abel’s name, either.

Atsuko Samukura “I’m not… that sheltered. These people are the ones who don’t understand anything…”

“Honestly! At some point it stops being funny and starts just bein’ sad. They’re not gonna last long on this train. 'Specially with that murder game business now.”

“Still no tellin’ for us, but at least we got a shot, yeah?” ~~Somebody doesn’t know he’s a mod OC.~~

Atsuko Samukura Knives may not be my specialty… but I’m nothing if not spiteful. You’ve seen firsthand what I’m willing to do.”

In the moment he couldn’t quite recall what he’d seen, but he’d take at her word on this one. It sounded right, at least.

“Hey, spite’s more useful than any other emotion!” Was spite an emotion? He could fact-check that later, if he decided he cared. “Can’t fault ya on that.”

He resumed nodding along for a while, though “too much work” got a snort.

Atsuko Samukura Sounds…like too much work. Too much to keep track of…”

“No, isn’t it way more work trying to keep up with one place?” Not that he remembered it was her literal job to keep up a place. “Keepin’ track’s fine for stories, too, but there’s nothing you really gotta remember on the road. ’Sides survival, but that’s not exactly what you mean, yeah?”

Atsuko Samukura “How inconvenient it must be for you to be stuck on this train with nowhere to go, then.”

“On the contrary. There’s everywhere to go, just not a lotta choice in how you get there.” He flipped his knife to his other hand. “But leavin’ it up to chance isn’t so bad, either.”

Atsuko Samukura

Roadie 🪶Jack

Roadie 🪶Jack “Honestly! At some point it stops being funny and starts just bein’ sad. They’re not gonna last long on this train. ’Specially with that murder game business now. Still no tellin’ for us, but at least we got a shot, yeah?””

“Who knows. Maybe that whole… ‘target’ thing… was a threat.” But people didn’t get away with threatening Atsuko Samukura on the outside—there was no reason they should on this train, either. Just because she didn’t have papa to bail her out didn’t mean she was useless. She had something she figured nobody but maybe Jack had.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Hey, spite’s more useful than any other emotion! Can’t fault ya on that."

Finally, someone who agreed with her. So many people telling her she was wrong on the outside, all it took was one person to validate you, truly.

Roadie 🪶Jack “No, isn’t it way more work trying to keep up with one place? Keepin’ track’s fine for stories, too, but there’s nothing you really gotta remember on the road. ’Sides survival, but that’s not exactly what you mean, yeah?”

“…I… wouldn’t exactly say so. I don’t do any of the hard things when it comes to the Hearth…” If Jack didn’t remember she was talking about an inn here, he was going to be confused. “That’s what… employees are for. I do the work that pleases me most…” Translation: Not very much. Money still went to her pocket, though. Perks of being a business owner.

Roadie 🪶Jack “On the contrary. There’s everywhere to go, just not a lotta choice in how you get there. But leavin’ it up to chance isn’t so bad, either.”

“…If your objective is just to… wander aimlessly, then sure.” Kind of an accidental indirect burn? Pun not intended. “If you aren’t headed to a specific destination, I guess there’s no issue with this.” Atsuko, on the other hand, would much rather be back in Asahikawa, as cold as it was. Back to papa, back to Tsugiyoshi, back to the Hearth.

“…I’m curious, then. Are you even in any hurry to leave this train?”

Roadie 🪶Jack

Atsuko Samukura

Atsuko Samukura “Who knows. Maybe that whole… ‘target’ thing… was a threat.”

“Maybe it was!” Jack agreed gleefully. Did he actually remember what that was referencing? …Probably!

Atsuko Samukura I don’t do any of the hard things when it comes to the Hearth…”

Thankfully, he was at least familiar with the word “hearth,” so it… kind of still made sense. The general vibe was there, at least.

Atsuko Samukura “That’s what… employees are for. I do the work that pleases me most…”

“And what work would that be?” He flexed his fingers, like they’d stop functioning if he didn’t move them for a few seconds, and set out for the next envelope.

Atsuko Samukura “…If your objective is just to… wander aimlessly, then sure.” Kind of an accidental indirect burn? Pun not intended. “If you aren’t headed to a specific destination, I guess there’s no issue with this.”

If it was a burn, it sure didn’t seem to register that way to Jack.

“Destinations’re overrated. What’re you gonna do when you finally get there? Just set another one. At least this way I got plentya wiggle room if somethin’ doesn’t work out.” Some parts of that… probably had logic. Somewhere.

Atsuko Samukura Are you even in any hurry to leave this train?”

“Haha!” While his bark of a laugh wasn’t that loud, it still seemed a little overkill for the question.

“At this point? Hardly. Not a destination worth aiming for, anyway.”

Atsuko Samukura

Roadie 🪶Jack

Roadie 🪶Jack “Maybe it was!”

It wasn’t like she expected Jack to actually be worried about it. She couldn’t recall at this point if she actually told him what she had been told, so Atsuko just decided to leave it at that.

Roadie 🪶Jack “And what work would that be?”

Mighty curious, weren’t we?

“…Laundry… decoration… administration…” Once again; this was code for Not Very Much. Laundry stuck out for someone who evidently hated manual labor as much as her. “I don’t like dealing directly with the guests much… Unless they’re telling me how warm and lovely it is. I don’t like dealing with the difficult things in general… meetings… finances…” So what was ‘administration’ supposed to mean if she didn’t do those things?

Roadie 🪶Jack “Destinations’re overrated. What’re you gonna do when you finally get there? Just set another one. At least this way I got plentya wiggle room if somethin’ doesn’t work out.”

Atsuko hummed, but the words didn’t quite sink in, like oil on the surface of the water.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Haha! At this point? Hardly. Not a destination worth aiming for, anyway.””

Was that so?

“…If you have no plans of trying to escape, what would the…” Atsuko cleared her throat. “‘Wiggle room…’” Not a term she used often. “…mean in this case? To me… Wiggle room would mean the ability to leave whenever you want. We’re going from… one car to the next. Not much variation… or freedom.”

She was curious. Jack acted (jacted?) like it was all under control, when they were still at the whims of that… cat thing. And the train itself, seemingly.

“…That, and if you’re thinking ’if things don’t work out,' what your idea of… ‘things working out’ on this train would be.”

Roadie 🪶Jack

Atsuko Samukura

Atsuko Samukura “…Laundry… decoration… administration…”

It wasn’t long into Atsuko’s spiel that Jack lost all interest, but that was the price of asking. Those were supposed to be fun? Granted, he had very little experience with decorating, but…

“Well, if you’re ever bored here, I got soap for laundry.” At a price? Or was he just saying she should do his for him? Unclear.

Atsuko Samukura We’re going from… one car to the next. Not much variation… or freedom.”

“Not sure what that’s s’posed to mean. The bridge’s the same every time, but the cars themselves’re nothing but variety.” For better or for worse.

And more questions, which were starting to get tangled up in his head now. Bah, he had no obligation to answer. To actually think about his future or whatever.

“Listen, ‘s been a great conversation, but I should probably do an actual pass lookin’ for my letter at some point.” Because he definitely hadn’t already found and hoarded it.

“Catch ya in the next car? No take-backs on that invitation.” The invitation she explicitly hadn’t given? All right.

Atsuko Samukura

Roadie 🪶Jack

Roadie 🪶Jack “Well, if you’re ever bored here, I got soap for laundry.”

Atsuko had to wonder if Jack understood her despite the warnings she’d given him. Perhaps he was just wondering to see how far she was willing to go when it was her against his surplus of knives.

“…I don’t do it for fun. If I’m truly that bored, I’d rather just take a nap. Or maybe do someone else’s laundry.” Yeah, there was definitely something up with that. Atsuko seemed like the type to hate such a menial task, and yet…

Roadie 🪶Jack “Not sure what that’s s’posed to mean. The bridge’s the same every time, but the cars themselves’re nothing but variety.”

Jack couldn’t even understand something as simple as this? Of course, it would make more sense to Atsuko later, but to Atsuko right now…

“…It’s still cars on a train. I don’t… claim to know how this all works, but we’re not actually going anywhere. It seems to me like… no matter how many sights you see, it’s still the train. We’re just going wherever the next car is—no freedom of choice in that.”

Roadie 🪶Jack “Listen, ‘s been a great conversation, but I should probably do an actual pass lookin’ for my letter at some point.”

Uh-huh. Atsuko hadn’t believed most of what Jack was doing up to this point regardless, but wasn’t quite able to figure out what the alleged ‘gift card’ was meant to be, so she let it slide.

Roadie 🪶Jack “Catch ya in the next car? No take-backs on that invitation.”

“…Depends on how big it is. I prefer acting alone, but I suppose if it’s another a car this size, I can’t avoid an audience.” The innkeeper let out a sigh. “Doesn’t matter to me.”

That was definitely an interesting way of saying ‘goodbye.’ Because Atsuko was off to do… Atsuko things. She did plan to write her letter… eventually.