a fun and happy afternoon

[jokesonthem]

Who: Reim Lunettes (pro tank driver), Sharon Rainsworth (expert dainty lady), with later appearances by scared little dolls girls and Xerxes Break
When: Sept. 7, a little before the toys turn back into toys.
Where: Baseball diamond!
Summary: Reim picks up Sharon in a tank and then weird stuff with dolls happens.
Warnings: Eventually Emily might be terrifying.

There are things, since the impromptu kidnapping, that Reim would not have imagined he would have to deal with again. One of them is getting back into the Big Metal Death Machine (née toy tank) Break had picked him up in and left on the Phantomhive-Trancy lawn, but a new arrival called him out of the blue and he feels a passionate need to get to her very quickly.

The tank may be slow, but it's faster than he could hope to be with the largest of his wounds from home still plaguing him, and he's seen what's happening in the city; to his lament, he's going to need something that can crush other things with little pretense. Which is why he fumbles his way into the tank, and--

lurches back and forth for twenty minutes while he relearns which levers make it move properly. His driving training has been limited, and he isn't going to drag Break out of his sad pile of blankets to put him back in this thing. He suspects the three of them might make the trip back a little cramped, anyway.

The point being, while it takes a laughable amount of time, Reim (and tank) eventually rumble into the baseball diamond (he is very mindful of pedestrians and only sacrifices two trash bins!) and stop, some distance away from where he can see Sharon in the viewfinder.

He climbs out of the top without falling in the dirt and hurries over to her, calling out as he approaches, "Sharon!"

Comments

done!

[maddeninghatter]

[ Okay this is that moment somewhere between misery, despair, terror and abject WTFery, because right now--everything just seems funny. ]

Ahahahahahha! Tell me another!

[jokesonthem]

[Sharon's exclamation makes the bottom drop out of his stomach. It distracts him from his anger, the sudden visualization again of Emily's head exploding, and he's halfway to rounding on Sharon this time with some indignant yelping, when--

when--

wow, that was just rude. Break receives this particular indignant yelp:]

I KNOW HOW TO SHOOT!

[He might not be proud of himself but, OW, HIS INSECURITIES.

why this]

[veryuseful]

[Well, there goes all seriousness from this conversation....

Sigh.]

Xerxes, you shouldn't pick on Reim.

[maddeninghatter]

[ He is still laughing, hysterical and braying. He topples out of the windowsill, holding his sides. ]

Y-you shot--hahahaha!

[ Children, unfortunately, were always particularly vulnerable to Chains, and often became illegal contractors. Killing them is part of Pandora training. But the idea of Desk Worker Extraordinaire Reim actually pulling a gun and... ]

You shot... my Emily...

Ha--! Hahaha!

[ He writhes on the ground. Is he laughing or sobbing at this point, it's hard to tell. Somebody give him candy? ]

[jokesonthem]

[What a ridiculous display... Reim would kick him, if thinking about shooting little girls (perfectly normal, perfectly regular, perfectly I'm-just-like-you--) didn't make him feel sick. He would pull the gun off his hip and wave it around- safely, of course- shout a while about how he's a perfectly capable agent, he passed his training just like everyone else--!]

I did-!

[His affronted rush is fading quickly. She was crying when they found her, and he... for this idiot, rolling on the floor--

He does kick Break then, in the leg, but only to shut him up; his heart just isn't in it!]

Check for yourself. And get up!

[veryuseful]

[This conversation has just completely deteriorated. How can two adults be this torn up at a single time? And they have barely even made any headway into figuring out why Break has apparently been acting strange for days. Not like she has been around first hand to see that but she can assume it's just been like this.

Sharon just takes Break's spot on the windowsill. She needs a sit.]

I'm sorry we couldn't find another way to stop her.

[maddeninghatter]

Ha...haha...ah HA!

[ Reim's kick silences him. For a moment, he's just lying on the ground, breathing hard. ]

It's fine. It is. She was an illegal contractor, you were just... doing your jobs.

[ Break grabs at Reim's leg (the one that had kicked him) and yanks on it. In this moment, it is so easy to pretend that Reim is still alive. ]

I'm glad she didn't hurt you, milady.

[jokesonthem]

[He would like to kick Break again, one kick for every syllable of THAT'S NOT THE POINT YOU DUMB CHILD, but.

That might not. Go over well. "Just doing your jobs" sure isn't going over well for him, ha ha. At the yank he hops in place vaguely to stay upright; he's even too dismayed to yelp. (It does, however, look very silly.)]

Let go-!

[veryuseful]

[These children... Sharon is just going to claim the sulking window sill for herself. She would feel bad sitting on a nice couch or something with the state her dress is in.

Milady, milady, milady. Hmph! Sharon joins in with the casual kicking, her toes prodding at the back of Break's head. Does he need something so blatantly childish to stop being a stuffy sulky idiot?]

That's right. And it's unprofessional to sulk about a job, Xerxes.

[maddeninghatter]

[ Break crawls his way up Reim's leg, uprighting himself finally. These two, between their shouts and gentle remonstrances, are actually managing to make his misery fade...

However, in its place, shame is gathering. Time to try to shrug it off. ]

Ha! Ha! Ha! The only person sulking here is Mister Reim~!

[ He doesn't have to see your face, Reim, to know it's frowning. He puts headless!Emily on his shoulder and beams. ]

How about some tea, milady? Tea and cake!

[ He offers Sharon his arm. ]

[jokesonthem]

[Of all the strange things to do-- Reim doesn't even have it in him to shriek about keeping a headless doll around; he feels it would be pointless, really. He says,]

I'm not sulking.

[and puts his hand right on Break's face, to push him away, maturely.]

[veryuseful]

[Headless doll... I guess small steps need to be taken. This isn't a sulk that can be knocked out with just a few punches apparently.

And she is still a complete mess right now but it would be best not to bring that topic back up since Break has at least started to act better. She will just have to be reasonably embarrassed if they run into Ciel later. Sharon steps forward and links her arm with Break. The hold is sturdy. Oh yes, she is going to be the one leading them around in a bit. It's his punishment She doesn't want Break walking into any door frames after all.]

Tea sounds wonderful. Reim, will you be joining us?

[maddeninghatter]

[ He giggles again, as Reim pushes him off. He is so sulking. A detailed lecture, with references, on his manifold shortcomings is sure to follow soon, if they don't get a move on.

As for Sharon, that's... quite the grip she's got on him. He'd been thinking in terms of slipping away, under the nearest tablecloth; and then, back to the solace of his bed and his blankets. Grievous embarrassment is taking hold: at being powerless, and being caught out weeping, and and getting an earful from both of them... ]

Y-you know, I should go on ahead and speak to the servants. Tell them to put the tea on, get your room ready and so forth.

[ An experimental tug on Sharon's arm, to see if she'll let him go. ]

[jokesonthem]

[References and footnotes, thank you. Just wait until he learns Powerpoint.

That said, he does not really feel like tea right now. But to passive-aggressively harass Break, sure. Reim puts a hand on his shoulder, in a "friendly" and "encouraging" fashion. That is to say, "don't even think about it."]

Now, now. Are you going to refuse the lady after such a long day?

[veryuseful]

[You were the one that offered, dear. No running away from this iron grip.

Sharon tugs happily on Break's arm. She will wander this house on her own if no one is giving her instructions. The tea has to be somewhere!]

I do love company and Reim always has important work to be getting to.

[Also he looks very angry and might not be the best company right now. Not that a crying good for nothing is any better. Oh well.]

[maddeninghatter]

[ HALP

Sharon is being particularly sweet right now, which means when the fan hits the little shit... ]

Yes, milady.

[ As if this weren't bad enough, with Sharon and Reim hanging onto him from either side, Break can feel a full-on blush rising in his cheeks. ]

[jokesonthem]

[Reim squeezes his shoulder, a convivial vice grip for his very best friend.

And cheerfully (as cheerful as acid), to Sharon:]

I'll ask someone to prepare a room. [what if they actually asked the little lord's permission... nah] Xerxes will show you where tea is taken.

[He will catch up, but he needs to micromanage some room prep before his brain explodes.]

[veryuseful]

[Sharon beams up at Break. Look, Reim has everything planned out. He is so much better at organizing than you will ever be. Would you have even thought to ask the little earl and then ignore the idea? Nope.]

Thank you, Reim. Let's go, Xerxes.

[Tug tug. Tell her where to go.]

[maddeninghatter]

[ Reim's "cheerful" voice is infinitely scarier than his angry one. Urk!

Okay. Okay. He'll go with Sharon, even though her "cheerful beaming" contains its own terrors. ]

Yes, milady. The drawing room is just 'round the corner and down the stairs.

[ This tugging feels awfully insistent! He's going, he's going. ]

[jokesonthem]

[And Reim takes his cue to move away and see about arranging a room to perfection. Sharon is going to love it, because if she doesn't, he is probably going to collapse in a heap and not get up.

Don't wreck anything in his absence, please and thank you.]

[veryuseful]

[Someone has to be "cheerful" to break up the angst and manpain that has permeated the room. Sharon gives Reim a little wave as he goes. Here's another note for your notebook though: get Sharon another paper fan to hit Break with, please and thanks.]

Wonderful.

[And they're off!]

1/2

[maddeninghatter]

[ ...hang on. Is she... is she leading him along? Like a blind man??? He would struggle, but he knows it's no good. ]

Er, right. Well. Er.

I think you'll be quite comfortable here. The master of the house is...

2/2

[maddeninghatter]

[ He'll regret this later, but... he won't be led! ]

...precisely the sort of young boy milady prefers, ohohohoho! ♥