2029-July-1 Month after Twist.

"Oh, you just put the tracks together then you put the train on top of them then the train goes on them!" Darius said in practically one breath.

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"Yes, so what do you reckon we should do?"

Zeph blinked. "Right." He propped his stuff against a wall in an empty space and began to click tracks together.

This stuff was quite cool.

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"Um..." Darien bit his lip. "I don't know." He attempted a smile. "Can't say I blame him though, having Celina for a mum."

Rather pleased, Darius started putting the tracks together as well.

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Diana rolled her eyes amused. "Well I don't know what your talking about, Darien, didn't you date her at one point?"

Zeph cautiously added a curve to the track, tilting it towards the station.

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Darien folded his arms. "Before I realised what a bitch she was...We can't tell her-Can we? She'll blame us."

Darius really had no care where he put the track, he just put them all over the place.

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"Yeah probably." Diana said. "Poor Zephir, I wonder what happened."

Zeph beamed proudly for a second as the track joined onto the station.

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Darien shrugged. "I'm surprised it took him so long."

Darius started to humm a song.

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"But he's only six! He's not suppose to run away. He's suppose to be carefree...!" Diana said indignantly.

Zeph glanced across at Darius. "What're you humming?"

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Darien nodded. "Not being funny, but he didn't seem all that carefree the first time we saw him either..."

Darius put his shoulders up in a shrug. "I don't know."

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"I know." Diana said sadly. "Poor kid. I told him he could stay."

Zephir shrugged. "It sounded quite cool."

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Darien looked awkward. "...Can he? I mean, we probably should tell his parents...as unpleasant as that would be."

Darius beamed and continued to build the tracks. Zephir thought it was coool.


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"Yeah I think we really have no choice in the matter." Diana said frowning.

Zeph clicked another piece of track into place and glanced around for a train.

"How do these things work?" He asked, examining the coal-black underside with slight suspicion and intrigue.

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Darien sighed. "What's going to happen when he finds out we told them?"

"You put them on the track then they go 'Choo choo!'"Darius said eagerly. As a demonstration, he took a train and put it on the track. Immediately, it was brought to life and started to follow the track.

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"Hate us probably..." Diana said. She looked at him. "What do you think we should do?"

Zeph's face split into a grin at the "choos" of the train. It was oddly hypnotic, as it swerved around the tracks.

He carefully placed the one in his hand on another section and released it, grinning as it made its way along, puffing smoke along the way.

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Darien sighed. "Like you said, we don't really have a choice. He'll understand." A white lie.

Darius sat down and watched the trains happily. "That one!" Darius pointed at the shiny red one. "That one is my favourite!"

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"Do you think... we should, I don't know, convince Zephir otherwise? Convince him to go back to his parents? Instead of telling them right on the offset?" Diana wondered aloud.

Zeph observed the train. "Yeah, it's pretty cool. Nice colour."

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Darien nodded. "That's a good idea...But how'd he get back? And for that matter, how the hell did he get here? He's six and already wandering around on his own!"

He sighed. "I'd rather he went back on his own; it feels like snitching just telling...her."

"Uhuh." Darius nodded. "Let's put more trains!"

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"I know, I wondered that too. I pale at the thought of what he must have done to get here." Diana agreed.

Zeph glanced around and located another locomotive.

Placing it on the track, he smiled faintly as it whizzed around the others.

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"Doesn't bear thinking about really." Darien winced.

"...Should we go talk to him then?" He asked, after a slight pause.

"Choo choo!" Darius said fully enjoying himself.

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"Yeah, but let's make them sandwiches first." Diana replied.

Zeph hesitated, then mimicked Darius. "Choo...choo?"

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Darien laughed. "Agreed. Kids are usually easier to persuade on a full stomach."

"Choo choo!" Darius said with more energy. "Chaga, chaga, choo choo!"

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Diana smiled. "Agreed."

Zeph found himself joining in the strange mantra.. "choo choo..."

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Darien grinned back and began to join in the sandwich preparation.

"Choo choo!" Darius grinned.

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Diana snagged the cheese and the ham and cut them into slices.

Zeph blinked. "Why do you keep saying that?"

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Darien deftly began to butter bread and stack them on random plates.

"Why not?" Darius asked him.

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Diana put strung all the components together to make the sandwiches.