#lmk abt any grammatical errors please!

[peknie]

CAT Car (2)

Full story; AO3, WATTPAD Tumblr parts; 1, 2

Summary;

Tommy is an invisible attendant on the Cross-Atlantic Train Carriage- also know as the CAT Car. It was a train that ran across the Atlantic Ocean, making headlines before it was even built. He's only there for the money, but it seems he's not the only one. Suspicious guests aboard its first trip accidentally reveal secrets to their invisible attendant that he can't get out of his head. A detective, a thief, an actor, a billionaire, two attendants and their boss walk into a train carriage... And not all of them will walk out when the journey ends.

Playlist:

CAT Car - Spotify

Notes:

This took way too long to update- sorry! I often work 9 hours as a toddler teacher, so it's hard to get time in lol! Anyway, I'm not a very good artist & its heavily stylized so just skip over the images if you don't like em :]

Comfort in Torment

     The day came to go back to the station. Tommy had 'borrowed' some clothing from a store nearby, quite liking the white and red shirts he took. They were all the same, meaning he'd be wearing the same shirt daily, but who would see? Ranboo-b? Tommy scoffed at the idea of caring what all Ranboo had to think about his style.

     Ranboo Beloved. Tommy felt an inkling of guilt over being so harsh in his head, especially considering how Ranboo helped him find a place to stay. Out of pity, though- so he didn't feel too bad.

      "Beloved is such a pretentious last name," Tommy murmured as he approached the station. The other attendants stood around, waiting quietly for Mr. Warden to arrive. 

      Ranboo stood out easily now that Tommy had noticed him. They caught Tommy's eye, waving slightly. Tommy nodded and looked away, opting to stand on the other side of the room.

      When Mr. Warden did enter the station, he smiled at the attendants. "I'm glad to see you've all made it! Follow me, and I'll lead you all on a tour. Once you've seen your designated area, you can settle into your cabins and relax until tomorrow." He made his way to the side door, motioning them all to follow him to the back of the train.

     The end of the train cart was simple. Colorful lining crowned the ceiling, and the seats were a bright yellow. Mr. Warden told the attendants that this was where the reporters would be, that the attendants working there- Aimsey and Guqqie- would need to make sure they would leave five-star reviews. 

     The common areas that separated different sleeping areas and types of people were all decorated in different colors and styles. There was another area, closer to the front, designated to medical professionals and experts of all kinds. 

     Experts that could come in handy in case of emergency.

     By the time they reached Tommy and Ranboo's section, everyone else had begun to settle into their cabins. Mr. Warden turned to face them in the common area. Tommy's eyes swiftly took in this cart's decor, catching on a series of portraits.

     There were no seats in this part, but there were old-timey, western style portraits of people. Tommy only recognized one. It was the billionaire Shelby Grace. She was well-known for being born into wealth and using it in a humanitarian way. Tommy only knew of her because she'd funded one of the homeless shelters he had stayed in. The others, though, were lost on him.

     "This is only half of this group's common area. There's a bar here, and whichever one of you will be in here will be behind the bar. Neither of you will be allowed to drink, but you have full access to any food we serve." Mr. Warden looked to where Tommy was staring, humming. "Oh, those will be the passengers you look after. They're either incredibly rich or incredibly famous. Here, my favorite is Techno Blade- a very mysterious figure in high society. Maybe he's my favorite because of his name, though."

     Both Tommy and Ranboo said nothing, and Sam Warden smiled. "I'm aware that I've said being quiet is a part of this job, but you've already proven you can be. You're allowed to speak, you know."

     Tommy's lips quirked into a nervous grin. "Wasn't sure if this was the final test or something."

     As much as he was sure he'd already gotten the job, his heart beat faster as he waited for Mr. Warden's eyes to narrow. He only nodded, though. "That's a fair assumption. I promise you that you don't need to worry about that." Gesturing to the portraits, Mr. Warden continued, "Any you two recognize?"

     Tommy shrugged loosely. "I've heard of Shelby Grace. She sponsored-" Tommy paused, wondering if he should mention his bouts of homelessness. "-She sponsored a workplace of mine. A homeless shelter."

     "Really?" Mr. Warden's brows knit together. "I don't remember seeing that in your work history. You worked at a shelter?"

      "I didn't put it down because it was volunteer work, is all." Tommy avoided his boss' eyes, staring intently at the portraits.

     "I recognize him," Ranboo spoke lowly, scaring the absolute shit out of Tommy, who had forgotten they were there. "Schlatt. And his son. A few papers away from him, that's Schlatt's son, isn't it?"

     "President of Snowchester." Mr. Warden smiled and nodded. "The city in Greenland we'll be going to. I invited him, and he surprisingly accepted. His son's coming too, of course. You've done your research, I suppose?"

      Ranboo shrugged. "A little, but I know about Schlatt because I used to live in Snowchester."

     "Oh?" Mr. Warden seemed pleasantly surprised. "Then we have some first-hand experience with some of our guests. I suppose this means I placed you two well." Leading them into the next cart, he stopped in the seating area. "I expect you to treat all our guests the same, though."

     Tommy and Ranboo nodded, deciding to take an interest in the Western-style, dull couches and booth seats. There was a variety of decorations that fed into the theme, the color orange appeared more often than not.

      Next, they were led past the passenger cabins to their own, a shared room with beds across from one another. Tommy set his small bag at the food of the window bed, not giving Ranboo a chance to choose. Mr. Warden laughed. "Alright, well, you two get ready. Tomorrow, I'll drop off a full supply of the invisibility serums before boarding at twelve."

      Tommy sat on the bed he'd claimed, Ranboo raising a brow. "What if I wanted the window bed?"

     "Then you should've been faster," Tommy mumbled. Ranboo laughed, shaking his head and putting his suitcase on the other bed. 

     It was silent- sans the shuffling of Ranboo unloading their things- as Tommy looked around the cabin. The decor was similarly Western, though the trim of the ceiling was colored a rainbow of every main color of the other compartments and common areas. Tommy hummed in approval, liking the look, but it left him cold as he realized how dull they all seemed. He knew, logically, that the colors were bright- loud- but it felt muffled to him. 

     Tommy flopped onto his back, staring pointedly at the blank ceiling. Ranboo looked at him after a while. "You okay?"

     "Of fuckin' course I am," Tommy scoffed, crossing his arms dramatically.

     Ranboo shook their head and sighed to themself, waving Tommy off. After a second of Ranboo unpacking his clothes, he gave in and asked.

     "What is your problem with me? What did I do to you?"

     Tommy looked over from his spot on the bed, trying to forget about the colored trimming.

     Tommy's face scrunched when he saw how close to the top of the door Ranboo was. "You're freakishly tall," Tommy decided with a huff. "It's distracting."

     Ranboo blanked. "Are you kidding me?" Their voice was higher now, making Tommy stifle a slight smile. "That's your problem with me? I'm tall?"

     Tommy looked at the ceiling again. "I said what I said."

     Refusing to talk to such a petty person, the two ignored one another for the rest of the day- aside from the occasional insult. It wasn't overly malicious, just poking fun at one another occasionally. Usually about height.

     By the end of the day, there were two post-its on the wall by the door, measuring their height. Tommy had marked Ranboo's height as 'freakishly tall,' and Ranboo had written him as 'the size of a gremlin.' 

      They went to bed a bit more comfortable with one another's presence, despite the insults and arguments. 

     The next morning they awoke to a knock on their door. Mr. Warden came in with a case, a cart behind him carrying more. He set it down by the shared dresser. "These are the serums, be sure to lock the case when you're not taking something out or putting it back in." 

       "Thank you, Mr. Warden." Ranboo nodded to him. Mr. Warden's eyes narrowed in distaste. 

      "Please, call me Sam."

      Tommy cringed. Mr. Warden was his boss. Calling him by his first name would be strange. Ranboo apologized, "Sorry, Mister- uh- Sam."

      Mr. Warden chuckled and walked away. "Don't be sorry. It's not your fault. Remember, boarding is at noon, so be sure to take the serums just before everyone boards. I'm sure you'll do great."

      Ranboo stood up as the door closed, opening the case. They observed the serums, picking one up and turning it over in their hands. "Do you want to bartend, or should I?"

      "I mean, who even's going to drink on the first day? Sounds boring, is all."

      Wincing, Ranboo shrugged. "You never know, rich and famous? They can drink anytime." He laughed, tone dry and humorless. 

      "That's true."

      "How about we switch off every day?" Ranboo handed a serum to Tommy. Tommy's brows furrowed. "We should probably stick to a cart for the ride."

      "Why's that?"

      "Have you ever worked in a bar?" Tommy asked as though the reason was obvious. Ranboo tilted their head, fingers awkwardly messing with a lock of their hair. "Uh... No? Have you?"

       "... No," Tommy said, looking away- like a liar. "I just mean that people sometimes ask for their usuals. If we switch it'll be obvious we don't know their usuals."

      "Dang." Ranboo sighed, taking a minute to speak again, "I'll do the bar portion, then."

      "Are you sure?" Tommy asked, despite having argued with Ranboo for a while. Tommy had bartended before, and with his experience, he wouldn't be upset about it.

      Ranboo's eyes darkened. "Yeah. Yeah, I'd rather do that, anyway."

      Deciding not to ask, Tommy shrugged and tucked the serum in his pocket. The two waited, Ranboo heading back to his bed after inspecting most of the vials.

     Ranboo got on his phone, Tommy opting to doodle in his notebook. There was no wifi or reception on the train, so Tommy assumed he was playing Candy Crush or something else lame that lame people do.

     When the time rolled around, Tommy and Ranboo picked up their serums. As Tommy took it, he relished the way the colors brightened again. The colorful trim of the room became a vivid hue, purple shining around Ranboo's figure. Looking at his hands, Tommy saw a flow of colors run over him. Like watching the sky through the air above a grill, his limbs distorted the room.

      "Is Sam sure nobody will see us?" Ranboo asked, flexing their hands. Tommy had to squint to see any details of their face. "I mean, if they do, it's not like it's our fault."

      "Fair, I guess." Ranboo rummaged in the case, pulling out a slip of paper and holding up a purple vial. "So, half of the serums are for reversing the invisibility- for when we get back to the cabins at lights-out. There's also a limit, so we'll have to take another around mid-day every day from here on out. You got pockets?"

      Tommy hummed, nodding as he walked over to read over the paper. He slyly slipped a purple vial into his pocket, despite not needing to hide the fact he took it. As he held it, it turned a transparent color, like that of himself. Turning to the door to head to the compartments, he rammed into Ranboo, both of them reeling back.

     Instead of apologizing, Tommy scoffed loudly, "Ugh- out of the way, tall-ass."

      Ranboo chuckled, muttering under his breath.

      "What was that?" Tommy asked, adding in a "Bitch?"

      "I said- I didn't see you. Guess I wasn't looking down far enough." They made gestures with their hands to indicate Tommy as short. Huffing and puffing, Tommy crossed his arms and stomped across the room, storming out of the compartment and cursing on the way to fake a strong rage.

      While Ranboo moved past him to the bar section, he gathered his thoughts and readied himself for a steady flow of passengers.

       As the clock struck twelve, the sound of doors opening caused a low hum through the train.