Grumbling in response to her sister's threats, Lucielle sighed and hopped off. Her and their father seemed to hold great aversion to physical contact, for reasons that the youngest daughter didn't know. Regardless, when Alma started grinning like that, it was time to get off. The petting was nice, if only it wasn't so scary...
"Fine, jeez. You and Dad are always so moody. It's a hug, not a strangling!" With a pout and a huff, the hooded sister makes her way back towards their rooms to collect the gear they would need for their travels. In regards to Alma possibly treating her nicer, Lucy mumbled that it wasn't very likely.
One shouldn't get the wrong idea, Lucy loved her sister and paternal figure. However with Alma's and her father's—special personalities, their moods would sometimes rub off on her. Though rather than irritable or acidic, with her it was more of just being a bit sour for a while. Regardless, sour or not, she knew Alma's personality well. In the morning, she moved like a sloth and hated being rushed, but once she was awake she wasn't too pleasant if you kept her waiting for long. And Lucy didn't really want to experience her sister's scary side during their travels.
Returning with two bundles of blankets and a sack containing really only junk food and soda, and a bottle of wine of her sisters, and of course her scythe. Lucy, of course, wasn't going to be drinking the alcohol, but it would be useful to have on hand if she needed to appease the older girl.
"Alright, got the stuff... I still in danger of getting rag-dolled...?"
"Fufufu.. No... Oh.." Eyeing the stash her sister brought, the wine was a curious choice. But one she would take advantage of soon enough. Narrowing her eyes, there was a number of ways she could punish poor Lucy.
Looking through the rest of the items, she frowns. Reaching out towards Lucy, her hand drops however. Exhaling as if deeply disappointed in her sisters choices of food, which in fairness she was, there was no point punishing her. She would learn soon enough that wasn't the best option in food goods.
"No Lucy, you are fine..Ah I mean Lucielle..no..its..fine.." Looking over the blankets, these would do for ponchos in the harsh winter air. As the wagon arrives Alma stretches a bit. Yawning she still wasn't up for this.
"Well, well, my dear lovely sister, I think I shall take a nap in the back, why don t you help the old man." Glancing an eye at the driver, it likely would not be long till they arrived, then she would show Lucy a bit of how one could cheaply travel in this world. "Take us to the freight grounds, We are not in need of the cities." Without another word, Alma climbs up an into the back of the horse drawn wooden cart.
"What? I brought you wine! Come on! Don't make that face! It's worse than when you grin and laugh!" Whining that, Alma had already crawled in back. Sighing, that look of disappoint was truly more hurtful than when Alma actually got angry or tried to hit her.
Shaking her head to that, Lucielle looks to the old man as Alma called him. Straightening her posture, Lucy sat their awkwardly for a few moments, glancing around at the interior of the carriage before speaking. She honestly wasn't the best at conversing.
"So... You need help...? Hehe..." She inquired to the man.
"Ah, shucks naw young n but thanks for offer n. Though I could use someone to talk to, can tell me about yerself if you like. Maybe I can tell yah about the horses and mah grand daughter. Or my time in the Great Trade War--"
Rolling her eyes from within the cabin, Alma was clearly not pleased. And knowing Lucy she would likely engage the old fart in conversation. But at least as they got moving she would be less and less able to hear it.
And so it came to pass, mumbling various things in her sleep and drooling slightly, Alma seemed..peaceful, with a knock on the door however, it seemed time had quickly passed. Rather than taking the pair to one of the two towns of Oshibana and Clover Town, as was the customary route to the major rail stations, they in place ended up at a utility station, at it was some basic watering and supply stations for passing engines, a wood yard, complete with mighty logs of all sort, and a ticket booth, used for the people of Waas Village more often than not.
Climbing down from the exit, Alma notices the driver giving Lucy a variety of snacks. Briefly having a grumpy look on her face, as if to be a child left out, Alma huffs and makes her way for the ticket counter, listening to the old man.
"Yer much like me granddaughter missy, I m sure things will be better for yah here on out, now keep safe yah here." Getting back on his wagon, and waiting for Lucy to retrieve her belongings, the old man grips the reigns smacking them with a "YAH!!" as the wagon turns and speeds off, making back to the north.
"Ah yes, a ticket for two, a freight line will be fine, yes utility line will be fine, one room, twin bunk if possible..if not...yeah." Carrying out a conversation with a rather tired looking bookie, arrangements are quickly made. Choosing an option that barely anyone would use for travel, this was cheap and straight down the line. While the shipping trains had little in the way of comfort, they also had little cause, or time to stop at cities that weren't Junction, the Ports, or the two key industrial hubs.
They were also cheap. Though such blessings came at a price all their own. One which Alma would explain to her dear sister.
"Lucielle, the train will be here in 30 minutes. There are a few things I would like to explain to you, in regards to how this will go."
Unknowingly leading the old man onto a stereotypical rant of tales of olden times, Lucy at first remains rather awkward, but eventually finds it not so difficult to converse with the man, actually finding some of his stories rather interesting. Alma should've been more interested in war stories than the younger of the two, but whatever. She could be moody in the back and sleep the time away.
As the carriage pulled to a stop, Alma exited the carriage scowling as always, likely in jealousy at Lucielle's appeasement. She didn't really think she did anything to deserve all the candy, but she wasn't going to say no to sweets. "Thanks! I will! I'm pretty strong, but if that's not enough I also have my sister... She's grumpy, but she's really tough too," She replied to the old man and bid him farewell as her sibling dealt with the tickets.
Already beginning to munch on the candy as she dragged their belongings over to where Alma was, some physically and others simply being levitated behind her, Lucy approaches her sister. Groaning, she took a guess as to what her sibling would nag her about. "I get it, I get it. I'll eat with manners and I wont pester the other people on the train. Jeez, have some faith." With a pout, she threw another piece of chocolate into her mouth, munching without knowing that she would be given some less than welcome information in regards to their travelling methods.
"What..." Tilting her head to the side momentarily confused by Lucy s understanding of events, Alma sighs once more. "..I hope you aren't an idiot Lucielle.." Shaking her head, she might as well explain things, while slightly irritated at her sisters snacking habits.
"What.. No we aren't traveling in a passenger train, that costs too much, and stops much more often. Maybe we can on the way back. We are taking a cargo freight train. Its cheaper, faster, but the service is much more poor. Given how long we ll be traveling, we need food..we may have to share a bunk depending.. I can t tell what shape the room will be in. Regardless we have to swallow a bit of pride and take on a side job, so we can eat with no problems." Laying that out, she would explain in greater detail once Lucy caught on.
"Huh? Why did you get us tickets to ride with everyone's luggage?!" Lucielle questioned bewildered. She had thought that this little field trip would've been fun and that, you know, she'd have been able to sleep in a bed, or at least gotten a chair or something. She wasn't too happy regarding having to sleep with the fish—or whatever was back there. There was probably a fish shipment in there.
Then there was the bit about the "side job", to which Lucielle quickly wrapped her arms around her elder sister and covered her mouth with her hand. "Alma! No! We are not doing that! You are not doing that! Wait, have you done this before?! It's because I haven't given you enough attention, isn't it?! Oh, where did I go wrong...?" Nuzzling her head against her sister's in an attempt to console her, Lucy seemed to mistake exactly what this side job was for something completely different. "I mean... there were times I had a hunch based on how you dressed but... I never thought you actually..."
"Because its cheaper, Mages aren't paid that well. And its not luggage, its the same type of room train crew use." Shaking her head with a wary sigh, Alma had to get things in order, before her sister imagination went wild... Too late for that judging by what came next from her mouth.
With a look of shock and dismay, Alma s jaw hangs briefly, before closing into a tight smile. Looking down at her own clothes, and shaking her head to the side, Alma lays, a..gentle, yet firm hand on her sisters face, from the side, keeping her next to her. ".. Lucielle..my dear sweet..sister..I ll pretend, you didn't just call me a whore.. I love you after all, you are my darling sister.. I would hate to see you fall on these tracks..now where did I go wrong, in raising you.." Smiling, long fingers start to work their way through her sister s hair. Stroking it gently, if not in the least bit comforting, as she walks the pair towards the platforms edge.
"No my dear, sweet sister, we ll be helping with cargo, and working as waitresses for our meals...and before your...delusions run even more wild, its a normal train..it carries cargo, we will be sleeping where the crewmen do..Its a simple bunk bed, with a closet chair, and table. Given the age of these trains we may have to share a bed. On the way back, we ll have some money, and can take a normal train, with beds. Not all jobs are glamorous, nor pay.."
With that out of the way, the Train can be seen in the distance, chugging along, its magical engine letting steam pour forth from its stack. "Though..I think I will be punishing you on our final night aboard the train.. Yes indeed, my sweet...sweet, little sister..though I like you admitting that I am a beautiful woman."
"Why aren't we? Most can blow stuff up. I demand a raise!" Lucielle extended a fist in the air in exclamation. It made sense to her. Why was it that the people had cool powers got the crappy pay?
Regardless, soon their holds were reverse with Alma coddling the younger of the two in a very scary hug. She didn't call her a whore! Well, outright.... Hey, sometimes, her way of dress very much resembled those streetwalkers. At least Lucy dressed modestly all the time. And obviously this wasn't enough to scare little red into silence as she had a response to Alma's rhetorical question. "U-Um... maybe the hitting? The verbal abuse wasn't so nice either... Oh! And the lack of sincere hugs!" Staring up at her elder sister, that last remark held as much seriousness and comedic intent, and especially referred to their current situation.
Probably worse than what Alma could have done to frighten Lucy with, she revealed what their job would be, which evoked a groan from the younger. "Why waitresses? I've heard stories about patrons... they can be mean... and if the chef gets the food wrong, I'm the one that gets yelled at! I can't handle that! ...I'm sensitive..." Folding her arms in a pout, it was obvious the wind mage wasn't ecstatic about the idea, nor about sharing a bed. It wasn't that she minded sharing the futon with her, so much as that she tended to complain. "And you don't even cuddle. You always complain. Oh, it's too hot. Oh, you're crowding me. Oh, stop kicking me in your sleep you little brat.... Okay, that last one is justified, but still."
Name: Saiyako 'Saiya' Winterfel
