[Was it wrong that her first thought was "Not again..."?

Tsuuma stood outside of room A1, staring at the door. Her ears drooped and her tail was low. The name that had been there before was gone now. And with it, he was gone as well.

She wondered if he was back in his home, with his Genshiken, enjoying his anime with them, telling them of his adventure aboard the Valkyrie Express. Did he remember it? Did he remember her? Maybe... it had all seemed like a dream when he awoke in his world. Once again, she was nothing more than someone's dream.

She wrung her hands, lowering her eyes from the door, then shutting them tightly.]



I.. won't forget you, Madarame-san.

[Tsuuma was sprawled out on her back on a blanket on the beach. She hadn't really been spending time with anyone, but she figured she was out in the open. If anyone wanted her for something, they could find her.

She hadn't visited the ocean since she was young. Her family had taken her out to the southern capital several times, but Viral had never been able to get enough time away form work, or they hadn't had enough money to ever go after she'd been married. So it was nice to get to see the ocean again. She was rather enjoying the little vacation, even if it was being spent mostly alone.]

[Tsuuma had dozed off on a couch in the lounge cart, curled up on her side. One of her ears twitched and she muttered something to herself. She hadn't noticed the new addition to the lounge, but she really hadn't looked around. She'd just sat down to watch television for a while and had eventually dozed off.]



[ooc: Catwife's napping. Feel free to wake her up for whatever. <3]

[Ah school... Tsuuma strolled across the campus in some suit she had found. It was a little exciting, since she had never actually attended a school. Her parents had home schooled her so she'd been denied the social education that came with more formal schooling. Of course she'd learned that later when she'd begun her bar-going and then worked as a pianist at Simon's bar for a short period.

She was quite excited about this "teacher's aide" thing. She'd always been very good at math and science, and she was excited to spend time with the children. She pulled the photo of her family from the pocket of her suit and smiled.]

I wonder if they would be proud of what I'm doing...

[Tsuuma sat on the counter in the Cooking cart, eaing a bowl of tuna and pasta. A simple, easy little meal. She began  to wonder if she was spending too much time in here. It was just something she enjoyed so much. Her life hadn't consisted of too many things back home and cooking was the only one that now carried over to her life here on the train.

...Even now, she was still homesick wasn't she? Seven months was a long time to be away from home. Away from her little girl. She sighed and set her bowl down. Memusu was fine... She had to be. Tsuuma had told her to stay with Simon. Simon would care for her.

Stay strong, Tsuuma. Everything will be fine.]

[Tsuuma stepped off the tilt-a-whirl, stumbling and swaying giggling like a child.]

I have not had such fun in years!

[She had spent the day enjoying the carnival, exploring the rides and games, absolutely delighted with the place the train had brought her to. It had been a long time since she so enjoyed herself. She just wished that Memusu (and maybe Viral) were here to enjoy it as well. It would have been such a delightful day for the family... But Tsuuma didn't let it get to her. She was having plenty of fun on her own. She leaned on a post to steady herself and looked around.]

What to do next....

[Tsuuma tied her hair back with a ribbon, grabbed an apron, and got herself ready to cook. She began pulling seemingly random boxes from the cabinets, pots and pans out from where they were generally stored, laying out boxes of stock and containers of spices...

Tsuuma was going to cook her first meal since she'd arrived here and she was excited. This cooking station had been a wonderful addition and she was determiend to make good use of it!]




[[ 8D Catwife's making supper! There's bound to be plenty for everyone so feel free to join her! ]]

::Ah! The train had finally warmed up again. Tsuuma could finally stop spending all of her time curled up under her blankets in her room. (Ah such a cat...) She stretched and made a content, feline noise as she stepped into the dining cart for a nice meal. She found one of her favorite foods and put it and a cup of tea on a tray and brought it to a table to sit down.

She wished that maybe she had explored the last stop a bit more, but it had just been too cold for her! She'd been much happier curled up in her nice warm bed with her Boota plush. But now she could catch up on what she'd missed. The news of a new cart had her a bit excited. She wondered which one would be picked.::

::Today seemed especially cold for some reason, and it was enough to even bother Tsuuma. For the most part the weather hadn't bothered her. Winters in Tepplin could get pretty cold, but today for some reason it seemed colder than she was used to. So she had gathered up her blanket, wrapped it around herself, and carried it with her as she went around.

She missed the fireplace at home all of a sudden. Nothing was quite as comfortable as curling up in front of her fireplace with her family. She tried to picture the scene with a few of her friends here and laughed a bit. That just seemed... very silly. She shook her head and walked into the dining cart getting herself a nice warm meal and sitting down to eat it.::

::Tsuuma wasn't really sure all what was on her mind today.  Not that there was a whole lot to think about. She wondered how her friends on the train were doing, and how Memusu was doing with Simon, and how the New Years festival had gone at home. She'd always loved New Years. It hadn't been bad here, but there had been no festival. No drinking and dinner with friends. Just and argument, if it couldbe called that, with Asuka, and a mostly depressing conversation with Dr. Horrible. It was just not the way she was used to spending the New Year. She picked the Boota plush up off of her bed and held it up.::

I have to be strong, Bu-chan!

That's my duty isn't it? I don't have a husband anymore, so I have to be strong! People are depending on me!

::Well maybe not "people" but at least her daughter was. And Tsuuma wanted to go home a better person for having taken this journey. Just like Viral had become after his. She though about what she'd said toherself, looking up at theplush. No husband anymore... Hrr ears drooped. it was a horribly depressing statement now that she thought back on it. But that didn't make it any less true. He wasn't coming back, so she was no better than a widow.

Tsuuma shook her head, taking back her serious expression. No more being sad! Viral wouldn't want her sad, Memusu, wouldn't want her sad, and she had to learn to be strong on her own without Viral!::

::Tsuuma was in a good mood. All of her gifts were bought and wrapped, notes attached to all of them, and stowed under her bed for the time being. She was thoroughly pleased with herself. This wasn't a holiday that she had back in Tepplin, and she didn't really understand it, but she liked the idea of giving things to her friends. She hoped that the gifts she'd gotten for Madarame was good enough. It seemed appropriate after what they had gone through recently.

She'd also bought a frame at the dollar store for the photo of her family she'd been carrying, and now had it set up on her nightstand with the little figure of her husband she'd found in Lotus Blossom. Her Boota plush was situated on her pillow.

She walked into the dining cart, fixing herself a nice plate of food after spending the morning wrapping gifts. She took a seat and smiled, silently thanking those above for the meal and her safety, as well as the fact that she was in the company of such good people (even if Dr. Horrible tended to deny how good of a person he was).

Then she ate quietly, glad that her life seemed to have settled into a good place. Her daughter was safe at home with Simon and Nia and she had received the closure she'd longed for about Viral. She knew that he'd lead a happy, wonderful life for at least 20 years after he'd left her to fight Anti-Spiral. So she no longer worried about him either.

Tsuuma purred, content, as she ate, happy with the state of her life at present.::

::Tsuuma stood in a small store in the little mall, staring at an item that hung from the back wall. A large cloth poster, full of familiar faces They were all dressed differently than she knew but...It was a great deal of her friends from home... Simon, Kittan and his sisters, Rossiu... And on the left, behind Yoko-san, was Viral.

Maybe this was what they were like in Kamina's version of their world. But why was there a big poster of it here? She turned and founf several small figures on the shelves. Some were people she recognized on the train. Himura-san, the blond boy with the braid, even Kamina. There was even a very small figure of Viral. She reached out carefully, picking it up and examining it.::

...Viral?

[[ Bwahaha. God I love Elizabeth Center Mall. <3 ]]

::Tsuuma sat on her bed, as she had been since her fight with Captain Hammer. The train seemed to have quieted a bit but she was worried that maniac was still running around. She looked to her arm, still bandaged up and resting in the sling, and wished she wasn't quite as useless as she was. Had she always been this way? Surely not... Maybe... probably.

Tsuuma sighed and shook her head. She'd been taken care of her entire life. Either by her family, or by Viral. She could yell and maybe take a few swings to defend herself but when it came to serious things like fights she couldn't do much at all. Dr. Horrible's projects had all been destroyed and Captain Hammer had almost gotten his picture of Penny! If she'd been more careful, or maybe stronger or toughter she could have chased him off, or at least come out uninjured.

And it wasn't jsut this time! There was when Dr. Horrible had taken her hostage as well! She hadn't been able to do a thing! Both times she'd had to rely on others to save her. She was lucky that Madarame and Cisqua and Kenshin had all come along at the right times.::

...Well Tsuuma, what are you going to do about it? What would Viral say if he were here?

::Tsuuma sat in the dining cart with a rather modest dinner. Just some baked chicken and mashed potatoes. She wasn't extremely hungry, so this would do her fine for now. Her recently won Boota plushie sat in her lap as she ate. She'd been carrying it constantly since she had won it. It, and the photo of her family, was all she had that reminded her of home.

Though she had become rather comfortable here. Her letter had surely gotten to Memusu by now and she had surely called Simon to stay with her, so Tsuuma wasn't quite as worried as she had been. And life on the train wasn't that bad. Everyone was very well taken care of, and she was friends with just about everyone. Even Dr. Horrible.

At least she'd like to think they were friends after the recent conversations they'd had. He'd trusted her with special information. Of course she was going to keep it private. She was sure that Dr. Horrible didn't want her spreading it around and ruining his "evil reputation" or whatever it was. She still didn't approve of the things he did, but he'd shown her that he wasn't just a cruel, heartless person. She still had some hope for him.

For now she just ate her dinner, wondering what the next stop would be like. It was a city, which she was excited for. She wondered if it would be anything like home. That might be nice.::

::Tsuuma wandered into the new arcade cart. She'd never been to an arcade, though she'd seen them, and growing up her family had persisted that video games were not ladylike, so she'd never played them. But now there was no one here to judge her on it (in fact some of the people here might even encourage her to play!) and she wanted to try.

The first thing that caught her eye was the crane. She walked over quickly, placing her hands on the glass and staring.::

Bu-chan?

::That was Boota! She'd recognize her friend's pet anywhere! Especially since the little thing had, in her earlier years of going to Simon's bar, had a habit of trying to jump down her top. It obviously wasn't the real Boota, just a doll, but she sort of wanted to win it. Maybe something familiar would help her feel a little more at home. With a serious nod, Tsuuma took the controls.

She kept a close eye on Boota as she lifted it up, frowning as she dropped him. She took the controls and tried again, this time finishing with a bright smile as she got him to the prize drop. She pulled the plush form the hole and smiled, hugging it tightly.::

Bu-chan! I hope i can take you home when Ii finally leave! Simon and Nia would think this was hilarious!

::Tsuuma stepped carefully out of Wild Bill's Saloon. She had been there just about all day, though she was only slightly drunk. She'd had drinks at a rather slow pace, and in spite of being in the bar all day, she'd only had a few drinks. It was nothing compared to some of the bar visits of her youth. She was still coherent and could stand and walk. She was just a tad wobbly.


It had been a while since Tsuuma had really sat at a bar and had a few drinks. Since before her pregnancy at least. Sometimes she and Viral would go visit Simon at the old bar, but neither of them ever drank much when they did. It felt good to just relax and do the things she'd done when she was a bit younger. Maybe this trip would be good after all.

She was in quite the good mood, which often came with her drinking. But for now she decided to lean on the wall outside until she was sure she could walk around without running into someone or falling over. It had cooled down a bit since it was getting late, so Tsuuma decided to just observe the town for now.::

::Well things had been going rather smoothly for Tsuuma in the past few days. She hadn't had any run-ins with that jerk, Dr. Horrible since watching Kujibiki Unbalance with Madarame and the others. She wondered if he'd been able to recover those computer files he'd lost the other day. Well at least he wasn't getting sick. She'd been worried about that.

She looked at the draft of her letter to Memusu and smiled. She had to remember to thank Conductor-san for letting them do this. It really would set her mind at ease. She set the letter in her lap and smiled, thinking about the people she'd met here. They all were really very interesting. Very different from the people she knew back home.

Tsuuma was grateful she was getting to take this trip and see the world... Or wolds... She had never been outside of Tepplin back home and there were just so many interesting people here. She had always wanted to travel but it just had never been in the cards until now. She looked down at the letter in her lap and just hoped that Memusu was doing all right without her.::

::Tsuuma sat in the dining cart, enjoying a late breakfast as she wrote home to her daughter. She was having a rather easy time of writing her letter. After all, the entire time she'd been here she'd been running through her head how she would explain this to Memusu if she got the chance. Of course this was just the first draft. She'd probably go back over it and rearrange her thoughts so it read better.::

( The Letter (It was kinda long so I put it under a cut.) )

::Tsuuma smiled, poking at her food as she read over the letter. It seemed like a good explanation of everything. She'd revise it a few times before giving it to Conductor-san. She wanted to make sure everything was clear and that Memusu wouldn't have any cause for worry. She was so grateful that they were being allowed to do this. It would really put her mind at ease.::

::Tsuuma sat in the dining cart, having a late breakfast. Even though she didn't need it, she had a sharp knife on the table and one ear turned toward the door at all times. She was still jumpy after being held hostage by Dr. Horrible. Thank goodness Madarame-san and Cisqua-san had come along to help or she might still be stuck there.

She looked at the book Madarame had thrown at Dr. Horrible. She'd grabbed it before she'd left so she could return it to Madarame the next time she saw him. Tsuuma flipped through the book, tilting her head a bit.::

How interesting...

::She sits back in her seat and begins to read the manga, not really understanding what's going on since it's not the first volume in the series. but none the less she wants to try and read it. Maybe madarame had more that he would share!::

::Tsuuma sat in the lounge car, watching the scenery pass by. The New Moon Settlement had been interesting, and the hunt for the cowbell had even been a little exciting. She'd gotten to know several people on the train better, and she was glad she'd gotten to talk to Kamina and learn a little more about why Viral had needed to leave her.

But now she was thinking of home again. Thinking of Memusu, wondering what Viral might be doing back in his Tepplin... She was glad that Viral was alright. At least he was as far as she could tell from what she had learned from Kamina-san. She knew she'd never see her husband again, but she at least her her daughter to look forward to seeing again when she got home. She turned one ear toward the television, not really interested in whatever was on, but still somewhat curious and wanted a distraction from her homesickness.::