u/Ambitious-Egg-1870

I’m very new to the lore of arcane can someone please fill me in on the basic lore of Runeterra. (if you’re gonna go that route, please do a cliff notes version.)

especially when it comes to the ‘military might’ of Silco’s gang (not including Jinx), Piltover, and Noxus.

In fact, I’ll probably have a second question later saying what I want to try to do. 

so for a little bit of context for this chapter

Piña and the other main character, Parker, have started living together (nothing wrong just yet just friends/roommates/colleagues) they have just gotten home from a work party with Parker’s dog Kirby and a rain storm is starting to intensify

please tell me what all of you think about this

Did I get anything right or did I get anything wrong?

(also by the way before anyone says, I will say there is a head canon in here so when you obviously see that take it with a grain of salt)

(by the if you want more context for this story this link is the first chapter so it should explain (mostly)everything https://www.reddit.com/r/gate/comments/1ru17z5/a_draft_of_the_first_chapter_of_my_fan_fact_that/

By the time they pulled into the driveway, the rain had deepened from polite taps into a steady, silvery drizzle.  

The air was cold enough that every breath fogged against the windshield. Parker shut off the engine and sat for a moment, listening to the ticking of the cooling metal. Kirby gave an impatient bark from the backseat.

 

“All right, all right, yes, we’re home Kirbs, I know!” Parker said to kirby in a ‘puppy‘ voice, pulling his jacket tighter before opening the door to the truc.

The moment he stepped out, the chill hit him full in the face. “WOO. Yep definitely a cold one.”

Piña jumped out, holding her cloak above her head as a makeshift umbrella while she hurried toward the porch. Kirby bounded after her, splashing through puddles and shaking off water all over the steps. Parker followed with a leftover box of decorations they’d almost forgotten at the depot.

Inside, the house felt like a warm pocket against the gray outside. The faint scent of wood smoke drifted from the fireplace, where a few glowing coals still lingered from the morning. Parker set the boxes by the door and kicked off his boots.

“Whew.” He exhaled and rubbed his hands together. “That came down fast.”

Piña peeked out through the window curtains. “It’s beautiful, though,” she said softly. “The rain, the sound… it feels peaceful.”

“Peaceful now,” Parker replied. “Give it about half an hour and we’ll see if that statement holds.”

He hung his jacket on the peg and went to turn the lights back on. 

Kirby curled up near the hearth, already half-asleep, tail thumping lazily.

Piña joined Parker on the couch, tucking her knees under her shirt. 

They fell into a comfortable quiet after that, just the rain and the fire filling the space. 

Parker leaned back, eyes half-closed, and for a moment he felt that rare, deep calm — the kind that only came when the world outside felt distant and small.

A sudden flash of lightning broke the stillness. The house lit up white for half a second, followed by a distant roll of thunder soon after. Kirby’s ears perked, and Piña jumped a little.

“That one was far off,” Parker said. “Probably still five miles out.”

“Still startled me,” she admitted, clutching the blanket tighter.

Parker chuckled. “You’ll probably get used to it. Out here, storms like to announce themselves before they actually hit hard.”

Another rumble followed, closer this time. The windows rattled slightly in their frames. Parker frowned — not in worry, just habit. “I’ll check the generator later,” he said. “Power lines around here don’t always like to behave when the weather gets nasty.”

“Do you think it’ll get that bad?” Piña asked.

He shrugged, looking once more toward the window. “Hard to tell. But… something about this one feels off. Like it’s settling in for the long haul.”

Piña studied him quietly, sensing that unease beneath his calm voice. 

She didn’t push; she just reached for a blanket and offered half to him. He accepted it with a grateful nod.

“Thanks”

“Don’t mention it.”

Outside, the rain thickened, drumming harder against the roof. Wind howled faintly through the trees. For a while, neither spoke. The clock ticked, the fire popped, and the storm began to grow.

Then, as if to remind them of its presence, the lights flickered once—twice—before holding steady again.

“Uh oh…” Parker muttered

The word came out of Parker’s mouth just as the lights flickered again. 

Piña blinked at him. “What do you mean, ‘uh-oh’?”

But before he could answer, the ceiling light dimmed, brightened again, and then gave one last, weak pulse like a dying star before it went out completely.

A soft click from the refrigerator and the low hum of the heater faded into silence.

The rain drummed steadily on the roof, louder now in the sudden silentness.

Parker sighed and pointed upward. “That... That’s the ‘uh-oh.’”

Piña groaned. “Oh, wonderful.”

He chuckled, standing and patting around for a drawer. “Welp... Welcome to your first power outage.”

“Is this normal?” she asked, following him with her hands out in the dark.

“Normal? Ehh… somewhat, it’s more like a bad habit, big storms like these have a real bad tendency to be screwy with the power. Especially here in Texas” he said, finally finding the flashlight in a drawer. He flicked it on and aimed the beam toward her. 

“There. Let there be light.”

She squinted against the glare. “Could you at least point that away from my eyes.”

“Oh shi… sorry,” he said, then handed her the flashlight. “Alright, hold that while we find the candles and some matches.”

The two of them worked in the soft cone of light, setting candles and an old lantern on the coffee table, then Parker made a small fire in the fireplace. Once it was all lit, the room filled with a warm, amber glow that made the storm outside feel distant — almost theatrical in a sense.

Kirby, ever the opportunist, decided the blanket pile they had made was now her bed and flopped down with a satisfied grunt.

“Well,” Parker said, sitting back down, “this is one way to end the night.”

Piña wrapped herself in the blanket beside him, still staring at the flickering flames. “It’s… actually kind of nice,” she said quietly. “Peaceful even. When do you think the power is going to come back?”

“Until the power company realizes half the county’s dark and flips a switch somewhere or reconnects the lines or something,” he said. “Could take an hour… could take all night, generator will most likely automatically kick in before then. But unfortunately it’ll take a while”

She tilted her head toward him. “Do you mind?”

He shrugged. “Nah. I’ve got good company.”

That earned a small, genuine smile from her. The kind that lasted a few seconds longer than it probably should have.

After a while, the thunder rolled again

closer, deeper. The window panes shuddered faintly.

“Does it always rain like this here?” Piña asked him.

“Not usually this early in the season, and even when it does get this early, it’s never usually this big, so we don't usually get power outages this early into the rainy season.” he said, glancing toward the window. The sky had gone a flat, metallic gray, heavy and low. “We’ll get storms, sure, but this one looks like it’s building into something bigger.”

“How, can you tell?” she asked.

He smiled faintly. “When you’ve lived somewhere long enough, you start to notice the signs — wind from the wrong direction, the way the clouds stack up, the air pressure popping in your ears. Nature talks, you just gotta know how to listen.”

She rested her chin on her hand. “My father used to say something similar about the plains near Italica — ‘that the land always gives warnings before it changes.’ I think is what he said.”

Parker looked over at her, the light catching in her crimson eyes. 

“Sounds like a smart man.” 

Piña rested her chin on her knees, staring into the candlelight. 

“Yeah, my father loved storms,” she murmured. “He said they made him feel alive. My brother Diabo was kinda the same way, not anymore, but once upon a time he was.”

(this is the head canon and I was talking about)

“Diabo,” Parker said, “that’s your other brother, right? Not the angry one wanting to crush everything under his heel, then fuck everything that was still standing.”

That made her laugh — a quiet, soft laugh that melted into the rain’s rhythm. “No, not Zorzal. Diabo’s the middle child. I'm the youngest. He's a bit proud, and perhaps a bit ‘show-offish’, and a bit… Well, he talks too much sometimes, but he means well. He’s doing diplomatic work in a place called China right now, or at least, that’s where he was last I heard.”

“China, huh?” Parker leaned back, smiling faintly. “Well… Small world I guess.”

She nodded. “He always said he’d bring back treasures and gifts for me. I wonder if he ever did but it’s all still back home.” Her voice softened, as she brought her knees to her chin. “I do miss him though. Even if he was a bit insufferable sometimes.”

“Yeah. Older brothers are like that,” Parker said.

“You have a brother too?”she asked.

He chuckled. “Nah, just me. I’m an only child. My parents must have thought I was enough of a handful.”

That drew a small chuckle from her, but it faded when she noticed his expression change — that quiet look he got whenever his past crept in.

“I’ve told a lot about my family,” she said softly. “But I don’t know much about yours. Well… Besides your grandparents.” (not in the story but if you ask me, I will give you the quick rundown of his grandparents.)

Parker was quiet for a moment. 

The thunder rolled again. He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah,” he finally said. “Guess I haven’t talked much about them.”

He reached forward and adjusted the lantern wick absently.

“My mom’s a fifth-grade science teacher,” he began. “Or well... she was, she’s retired now. But she loved teaching — like, really loved it. Always told her students, ‘get messy and make mistakes.’ It was her motto, and I guess it kind of became mine too.”

Piña smiled. “Oh yeah you told me that. Well, it sounds very you.”

“Yeah.” He stared at the flames in the fireplace for a moment longer before continuing. 

“My dad was in the military. Air Force, he was a crew chief for a C-130 back in the late and the ’90s and 2000’s — The Gulf War and all that jazz. Heh… That’s actually how he met my mom’s dad, during a training. Grandad was an instructor and taught him a few things.”

“So that’s how they met?” she asked.

“Yep. They eventually became friends, my Grandad introduced him to his daughter a.k.a. my mom and then they became friends, then started dating, then one thing led to another, and one marriage, crazy night, and nine months later... POP here I am,” he said with a small, grin. “They were a great pair. For a long time.”

His smile faded slightly.

“When my grandparents passed — especially Grandad — it... It hit us hard but it hit Mom the hardest. She kind of… stopped being herself. She didn’t… she just….” Parker sighed “I really don't know how to explain that part. Dad tried to hold everything together, but they just drifted apart. Still married, technically, but they don’t talk much anymore.”

Piña’s eyes softened. “I’m… I’m so sorry.”

He shrugged gently. “Don’t be. 

Shit happens. 

People change. 

You can’t really force things to stay the same. 

No matter how hard you try.”

The rain pressed harder against the windows now, each gust of wind rattling the old panes. The candlelight flickered across their faces, shadows moving softly with the storm.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The silence wasn’t heavy, though — it was the kind that only comes when words aren’t needed.

Eventually, Piña spoke up. “You know... Your mother sounds like someone I would’ve liked to meet.”

“She’d have liked you too,” Parker said. “She’s still got a soft spot for people who ask too many questions about the world around them.”

Piña smiled. “Oh,then we would have gotten along perfectly.”

The generator outside clicked once, distant and mechanical. Then house hummed back to life — lights flickering back on, the heater buzzing softly to life again.

Parker looked up and sighed. “Welp, there goes the atmosphere.”

Piña smirked. “You sound almost disappointed.”

He grinned back. “Maybe I am.”

Then Parker turned the lights back off

The heater’s hum filled the silence again, a low, steady rhythm against the rain.

Piña leaned a little closer, her shoulder brushing against his. For a long while, neither of them spoke — the storm was still out there, but inside, it felt like the world had shrunk to just the two of them and the flickering candlelight.

She shifted slightly, turning toward him. “It’s… warm,” she murmured, half to herself.

“Yeah,” Parker said softly. “Guess the heater kicked in again.”

A faint, tired smile crossed her face. “Mmm… that’s nice.”

He figured she’d lean back or stretch again, but instead, she stayed there — her head slowly lowering and tilting, until it came to rest right up against him. 

He froze for a second, eyes flicking down at her red braids “Oh shit, this is happening... this is actually happening...” he whispered under his breath,

“Kirby, help me!” he whispered urgently to the lazy dog.

Kirby lifted her head briefly from her spot by their feet, gave a single curious sleepy grunt, then decided the situation was unimportant and went back to sleep.

Parker sighed quietly. “Traitor,” he muttered at the dog.

Piña didn’t move. Her breathing had already settled into a slow, steady rhythm — out cold, like someone who’d finally let go after a long day, which certainly was the case.

Parker sat there for a while, not sure what to do with his hands, his thoughts, or the quiet.

He looked down at her again. ‘Man’, he thought, ‘you really don’t make this easy, do you?‘

He tried to tell himself it was just a friendly thing — exhaustion, comfort, warmth, whatever excuse worked. But as he watched her sleep, the thoughts he tried to avoid started creeping in anyway.

There was something about her that just... fit. Clean, and real. They could drive each other up a wall one minute and then she’d say something that made his chest ache the next. And even when she was being stubborn, oh who was he kidding— especially when she was being stubborn — he couldn’t help but smile.

‘You’re just tired,’ he told himself. ‘Don’t go catching feelings. You’ll just screw it up.’

He stared at the candle flame across the room until his eyes went heavy.

Still, the thought lingered, quiet but stubborn.

‘Not yet,’ he told himself quietly.

He adjusted slightly, careful not to wake her, and leaned back against the couch. The storm outside had softened into a gentle patter.

“Well, I know if I move to try to get out of this situation I will most likely wake her up, and she looks like she’s pretty tuckered out. Guess I am too, ah, what the heck…”

He yawned, head resting lightly against the back cushion. “I guess I’ll sleep as well.”

The candle flame danced one last time before fading out.

Rain whispered against the windows.

And there, with Piña asleep on his chest and Kirby curled faithfully at her feet, Parker finally closed his eyes — the faintest, tired smile on his face as the house drifted into quiet.

(before anyone asks, yes they are both HEAVILY crushing on each other at least by this chapter and most of the chapters before this they’re just friends, that’s it. and we see Piña’s of the crushing the next chapter.

also, if you guys wouldn’t mind giving me some good old, constructive criticism that would be much appreciated. I will try to explain myself if I did something deliberately, but if I did not, I will hopefully change it.)

do yall like your fics with little to no references? (other than references, the show and or manga make.)

or do you like tons of references and/or memes in your stories?

(Little bit of context Piña is staying at Parker‘s (Parker is a main character and is one of Piña‘s first friends in town) house for the time being and also he has a dog named Kirby whom Piña absolutely adores)

It was early morning when Parker stirred, half-buried under a heap of blankets. 

The sound that woke him wasn’t the usual whistle or horn of a passing train, but something softer — the faint hush of wind and the delicate tapping of snowflakes against the window.

 

He blinked blearily toward the curtains. 

A dim light filtered through, not gold, but the muted white of a world turned cold and quiet.

“…Huh, well son of a gun.”

Piña shifted, mumbling something incoherent into her pillow. Kirby’s tail thumped once against the floorboards before she decided it was too cold to care.

Parker pulled on his flannel and jacket, stepped out onto the porch, and let out a visible breath into the chilly air. The ground, the trees, the old truck in the driveway — all covered in a soft sheet of fresh snow.

He grinned.

“WOOO! It’s getting chilly out there!”

That was enough to rouse Piña, who stumbled sleepily into the doorway a few minutes later. She was wrapped in a blanket like a cloak, eyes still half-closed.

“Why are you shouting so early…?”

“Oh crap, sorry bout’ that.” Parker said, gesturing grandly toward the yard, “But we’ve got our first snow of the season.”

Piña blinked, then stepped out onto the porch beside him. 

Her breath caught. 

She had seen snow before in the high mountain passes of the Empire, — and once in Japan during her stay there — but never like... this. 

Here, it wasn’t just falling; it was pouring down in thick, silent sheets, blanketing everything in a dreamlike calm.

“It’s beautiful.” she whispered.

Parker smirked. “Go on. Touch it.”

She crouched, brushing her fingers through the powdery layer on the railing. Then, impulsively, she scooped up a handful and pressed it into a ball. “Ooooo. That’s cold!”

“That’s snow for ya.”

“Well I mean... I’ve seen snow before,” Piña said softly, “but never like... this. It feels different. Like the world stopped for a while.”

“Yeah,” Parker replied, his breath misting in the cold air. “It kinda does.”

Then without warning, Parker bent down, grabbed a handful himself, and called out, “Hey, Piña—thinkfast!”

The snowball splattered against her shoulder with a satisfying thwack.

For a second she just stared at him, then at her snow sliding down her coat, 

then back at him, Then her eyes narrowed, and a small, dangerous smile appeared.

“Oh, you shouldn’t have done that.”

Before Parker could react, a perfectly-aimed snowball hit him square in the face. He stumbled back, sputtering through laughter. “Alright! That’s how it’s gonna be, huh? THEN IT’S WAR!”

What followed was less a snowball fight and more a gleeful little snowball skirmish. 

Snow flew in every direction; Kirby barked and chased the flurries, occasionally intercepting a poorly-aimed throw. 

Piña darted behind the truck, ambushing Parker with surprising accuracy. 

He retaliated by lobbing one over the hood, nailing her square in the arm.

The air filled with laughter and mock insults until both were doubled over, out of breath and red-cheeked from the cold.

Finally, Parker threw his last handful of snow and called a truce, brushing frost from his hair. “Alright, I yield.”

Piña grinned, holding up her hands in mock victory. “Yeah! That’s what I thought.”

They stood there a moment, the world quiet around them except for Kirby’s panting and the muffled whisper of snow still falling.

After a long pause, she shivered and said, “Ok, I’m going back inside before I freeze solid. Are you coming in as well?”

“Eh… In a minute,” he said. “We’re running a little low on firewood. I’ll grab a few more logs first. Plus there was a weather report of storm on the other side of the hills so it looks like we’re gonna be in for the long haul, And knowing how these things roll we may get called in for an ‘all hands on deck situation’, So be ready in just case.”

“Alright, don’t stay out too long.”

“I won’t.”

She smiled faintly, tugged her jacket tighter around her shoulders, and headed back toward the warm glow of the house. Parker watched her go, the snow crunching softly beneath her boots.

When she disappeared inside, he looked out over the yard again. 

The world was white, quiet, peaceful — a rare kind of silence that only came after a storm or before something new. He adjusted his gloves, trudged toward the woodpile, and smiled to himself.

please tell me what you guys think because I could use the criticism as long as it’s constructive.

What did I get right? What did I get wrong? (especially what I got wrong because from what I remember, it doesn’t really snow that much in the special region at least not the way it does here you have to go really far up north in order to do it or you have to be really high up.)

POV: it is game night with your partner from the special region and friends that may be from the special region they might not be. That depends on you.

rules are simple

at minimum, tell me what game y’all are playing. but if you want, tell me how you would teach them how to play

And by the way, this can be any game anything from billiards to a multiplayer video game (I.e. smash bros or something)

This does include board games and party games.

so what are y’all going to play (and maybe even have to teach.)

Hello everyone, this is part of chapter 2 of story. I am working on.

I’ll give you guys what I have so far and I’ll give you guys the synopsis of the rest of the chapter pretty much but anyway

If you haven’t seen the first part, the first part is here and should give you a bit of context. |
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https://www.reddit.com/r/gate/comments/1ru17z5/a_draft_of_the_first_chapter_of_my_fan_fact_that/

ch2

Steam drifted lazily over the yard as workers moved about, loading crates, hooking brake pipes, checking time tables, and tending to engines. 

Piña walked down the platform, a notebook clutched tight to her chest. 

Parker was waiting, leaning against the door to the depot’s office. He looked a little more put together than yesterday — less soot on his shirt and face, cap tipped back, and in regular jeans this time not overalls.

“Well, well, well, Princess Piña Co Lada… you never told me you were royalty.” he said, putting a little more emphasis on ‘Princess’.

Piña was confused till she realized, he was right. She'd never told him that she was a princess.

“Never came up in the conversation… Besides, what's wrong with that, would you let me touch anything on the locomotive if I told you?”

Parker paused until saying

“Ok. Fair point, and hey nothing wrong with it. Just not every day I find out that I gave a lecture on locomotives to royalty, and I’d probably still would have told you not to touch the boiler. But anyway, we’re getting off track. Not only did the boss man gave me the green light, but when we found out you were royalty he said to give you the full tour of the museum, yard, the shops. 

AND — if you’re up for it at least, he told me if time allowed I could even a cab ride in Sadie.”

Piña eyes brightened with a bit of curiosity

“Sadie?”

“Yup, she’s a Mogul locomotive. She’s quite a bit bigger than the tank engine you met yesterday, the locomotive you met yesterday was Thompson. 

But Sadie’s still steaming up right now she been steaming up sense I think... 5:30 is when we started steaming her up, and it usually takes about five hours-ish, so we’ve got time before she’s ready.”

“Do all of your locomotives have names?”

“Most of them, but it's mostly just our steam locos, but there are a few diesels with names.”

Piña immediately flipped open a notebook and scribbled

Sadie — Mogul type locomotive.

Thompson — smaller ‘tank engine’ type locomotive.

Parker, a bit amused, leaned over to see what she was writing.

“You really keeping notes of these things?”

“Of course. Someday, I’ll return to the empire, and I’ll need to explain these wonders properly. A princess should be prepared.” Piña said in earnest

Parker chuckled “Alright fair enough. Like I say sometimes, it’s better to have it but not need it, than need it but not have it. Well let’s get on with the tour.”

First they came across a couple of passenger cars

They stepped inside one of the old varnished coaches, 

it had polished wood tables, cushioned seats and even lamps. 

“Up first is our Pullman ‘business’ car.”

Piña ran her hand over the back of a bench seat.

“It’s like my father’s sitting room, but theres a...” She counted the seats. "About half a dozen seats. Did common people truly ride like this?”

“Yep. Anyone with a ticket. Trains made travel faster, safer, and affordable for everybody, though I will admit business cars made for ‘bigwigs’ you know Business men, Politicians, and such. However pullman sleepers did have this kind of comfort as well but their rooms on board were cramped. But hey, they were way, way more cheaper.”

Piña sighed thoughtfully “In my world, only the wealthiest travel in such comfort... to think, a common person sitting here. It kind of makes me hopeful of what the Empire can be, instead of disappointed of what it is now.”

“Why? You don't like your home?”

“Kind of, I love my people, and I want to bring them out and into a new age of prosperity, but multiple government officials including my own brother want to stay as we are and just want to watch the world out grow us. They'll probably say that's not what they want, but that's what it feels like.”

“So you came here to learn how this stuff works to bring your country out into the ‘Modern Age’ huh? You know what, I respect that. You want what's best for your people not what's best for you, I feel like more people ought to take page from your book.”

“Oh I.. Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.”

As they headed toward the back, something caught Piña’s eye. An old fire ax

“Why is there an ax on this Carriage?”

“Oh yeah that is the fire equipment little fun fact for you, before electricity these things used to be powered by natural gas which was very very flammable.” 

“So wait these cars just lit themselves on fire?!?”

“Good news is no, bad news is when there was a train wreck yeah they would catch fire so fire equipment such as that ax would be used to break open walls and windows and get people out, and even after electricity came around to fix all that the government still mandated that there be some sort of fire equipment on board.”

“OH! Thats really smart! But I am noticing something how would they get to it?”

“Well usually there be a small hammer or pick next to it on a rope then they’d Just smash it open and if they didn't have the pick or hammer available then they just smashed open with there although since these cars have been converted and since we aren't running these cars anymore, we removed it so no one gets hurt.”

“Well, what if the car caught fire somehow how would they get to it.”

“Don't tell anyone I told you this, but you could easily elbow the glass if hit it hard enough.”

“Wouldn’t you cut your arm?”

“Well I mean what's better, burning alive or cutting your arm?”

“Okay, fair enough”

“Well shall we continue?”

“Lead the way.”

(The scene is not finished, but they see a couple more different kinds of Passenger cars and generally just train cars that would be on a passenger train. And then they would get to the locomotive which is a 4-4-2 Atlantic)

As they exited the old locomotive they came across a mock freight contest

The first thing they came across was the caboose

“You know, this one kinda looks like a little hut.”

“Well you’re not wrong. It does kinda look like a little hut. The reason it looks like that is because this is where the conductor and brakeman usually stay if it is a freight train.”

“The who?”

“The person that is in charge of the train and his or her right hand guy.”

“I thought the driver would be the one in charge.”

“Oh you would think that, but no. The driver just drives the drain, the person that's actually in charge of everything going smoothly is conductor.”

Then they passed an old 40ft boxcar, its doors open for display. Crates and barrels are stacked inside.

“This one looks... plain.”

“Ah the boxcar, plain, simple, but very effective. just one of these could probably carry 15 times more as much as a horse drawn wagon of way back when, and if it’s carrying food I’d say a small town could probably live off one large consist for a whole a week, if it’s all properly refrigerated of course.”

Piña started to jot down furiously in her notebook

one ‘consist’ could feed a small town for a week.

 

“Also cool little fun fact here the people that used to own this was the Penn Central, and it was one of the fastest bankruptcies in the world”

“How fast did it go bankrupt?”

He leaned in and whispered

“2 and 1/2 years”

“oh.”

“Yeah I know crazy huh, and it was cause the two companies that were merged together to make it absolutely hated each other so it was a recipe for disaster!”

“No kidding, what were they thinking!?!?”

“That's the question I was asking myself ever since I found out about its demise, and I still have no clue.”

“Wait what out of that wagon right over there”

She pointed to a old tank car 

“Oh that that's a tank car it's meant for holding a fluids and stuff. Especially chemicals too dangerous for the road”

“It kind of looks like sausage.”

“Huh, know I never thought it like that. Yeah I guess it does kind of look like a giant metal sausage."

Then they reached the beginning of the mock consist

“Up next on our tour is an F unit diesel locomotive this guy is on static display right now but we take it out from time to time, though usually we use the passenger cars like we were just in earlier.”

Piña circled the sleek, rounded shape, her expression a bit more wary compared to the steamers. Parker chuckled.

“What, no dragon comparison this time?”

“No… this one feels more like a knight’s armor. Silent, sleek, and hollow.” Piña said softly 

Parker raised an eyebrow

“That’s… actually not the first time I’ve heard that analogy, few months ago we had some kid came through here, wouldn’t stop singing about streamliners, either that or was then New York Central. He said that they looked like ‘noble nights of olden days’.”

Piña smiled faintly

“Then I’m not alone in my thoughts.”

“Guess not. You and that kid saw something most people miss.”

 Then Parker started snickering.

“What’s so funny?” Piña asked.

“Nothing, I just remembered something.”

Then he said something that confused Piña.

“If I had a nickel for every time, I heard someone say a streamliner looks like a knight in shining armor. I’d have two nickels. Which isn't a lot but it's weird that it's happened twice”

Piña had no idea what he was talking about, but he just couldn’t stop smiling after saying that.

“But anyway, how’d you like to see the inside?”

“Are you sure we’re allowed to do that?”

“Yeah. Not only does it not have any fuel right now, but it’s not even able to be put into gear without a reverser, and we do not have one right now, it’s probably still in the depot, probably close to Brandon somewhere ”

“Who?”

“Oh yeah, Brandon. He’s my boss.”

“Oh, I see.”

“By the way, I’m guessing this is a no, but let's say have some dope who runs in front of me with a car or a wagon or something, you ever been in near one of these things when they go into emergency brake.”

“No, what happens?”

Parker suddenly flipped a lever hard causing Piña to flinch, but nothing happened.

Parker flipped it back and said while laughing “Usually it’s supposed to be really really loud but since we’re not on, it’s quiet as a mouse.”

“WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?” 

She said softly hitting Parker on the shoulder.

“Ow! I’m sorry I just thought it was funny and oh boy your reaction was so worth it!”

“Culus”

“I'm sorry what?”

“Did I stutter? Culus! You're a Culus.”

“I have no idea what that means.”

“You’re a Bitch, that’s what that means.”

“Ok ouch, I wasn't trying to be mean I was just making a joke i'm sorry! ”

“All right fine, apology accepted, but you’re still a culus”

“Fine, a bunch of the guys would agree with you, at least in a joking way.”

Then someone came in from outside 

It was Mark, the fireman from yesterday 

“Hey Parker, Sadie’s all steamed up and ready. If you wanna take that girlfriend of yours on the footplate nows the time.”

Parker (and Piña to some extent) started fumbling his words for a second until finally, he said “She is NOT my girlfriend just a friend!”

“That’s what they all say!” the fireman said in a sing song, sort of voice

“Sometimes, I hate him”

Parker muttered under his breath

“Welp you heard what he said let’s get on with your first cab ride.”

“Wait, you would consider me a friend?”

“Yeah sure why not?”

“Well I would say that we’re more acquaintances then anything.”

“Well then consider yourself a friend of ‘Parker, Train engineer extraordinaire!”

“Alright then ‘friend’ shall we get started”

“Sure, right this way.”

The locomotive stood at rest, steam and smoke curling up into the sky. Parker helped Piña up the steep iron steps into the cab. The space was larger than the little tank engine’s, and just as hot and alive.

“It’s hotter than I remembered yesterday... it feels like I’m standing inside a furnace.” Piña said in awe.

“That’s basically what it is. The firebox right there is basically a furnace. Fuel which it could be anything that burns but in this case is coal goes in, the heat makes steam, steam makes her move.”

She watched as Mark shoveled coal into the firebox as the flames flared out. Piña gasped, then scribbled a small sketch of the inside of the cab.

Parker leaned closer, his tone warm.

“Alright, you’re in for a treat. But remember the rule: don’t touch anything unless ether of us say so.” he said pointing his thumb at Mark “Got it?”

“Got it.”

“But before we set off i need you to blow the whistle twice, then after that we can set off.”

Then Mark chimed in “Are you sure you want to let her do that?”

“Of course I am sure, the kid did fairly well for her first time in the cab yesterday”

Then Piña stared at them both then pointed at Parker “Okay first off i am not a kid, I am just barely younger than you from what I can tell, but second off You really think so?”

She replied

“Yeah, so far you’re doing very well, By the way how old you cause when me and Brandon looked you up it said 19.”

“20, I turned 20 just before I started this little vacation of mine I celebrated my birthday a month before I left, I was 19 when the gate first opened if that changes anything.”

“Oh happy birthday late!” said Parker.

“Yeah, happy birthday” Mark told her.

“So you're Mark”

“Yep, pleasure to meet you. By the way, I’m sorry had to see me like that yesterday if I haven't apologized already.”

“It’s fine, what happened that made you act like that.”

Mark was hesitant for a second

“You sure you want to talk about it Mark?” Parker asked

“Oh, you don't have to talk about it if it hurts to talk about it though.” Piña said.

“I know, and it's fine, really it is. It's just, my girlfriend broke up with me the other day.”

“Oh I'm sorry to hear about that.”

“Thanks. It's just become kind of yelling match between me and her sometimes, so it's for the best. Doesn't make it hurt any less though, I’m gonna miss her.”

“But still I'm very sorry.”

“Thanks. I hope we can become better friends if you want.”

“Friends... Yes, that would be nice.”

“But anyway, the whistle Piña” 

“Oh right.”

Piña pulled on the whistle cord twice, hard and loud. Then with a slow hiss, the loco began to ease forward, pistons pounding the track as they rolled along the yard. Piña clung to the cab railing, eyes wide, hair blown back by the rush of steam from the bottom of the locomotive.

“We’re … moving! We’re actually moving!”

Parker laughed, hands steady on the throttle.

“Yep. Brandon said to just give you a short run to get some passenger cars, then we’re gonna get her down to her actual crew who should be waiting at the platform right now. So it’s just a small run around the yard, but I think it counts as your first cab ride.”

Piña still had both hands on the cab railing, cheeks flushed from excitement. She finally let go, turning toward Parker with wide, sparkling eyes her face lit with pure wonder.

“That was… unforgettable. I feel as though I have touched a piece of your world’s soul, it was more than I ever imagined. Thank you, Parker.”

Parker grinned, and dusting coal dust from his sleeves.

“Glad you liked it. You handled yourself well up here too. Not everyone takes to the cab so well their first time.”

He patted the cab lightly, then hopped down onto the platform Piña followed a little more carefully. Parker gestured to another crew as if saying ‘it’s all yours’

Parker stretched as the crew walked past before saying “Speaking of souls, mine’s telling me it needs something to eat. You hungry, or what?”

Piña laughed

“Food… yes, I could eat. Do you have Any suggestions? You are more familiar with the area then me.”

Parker chuckled 

“There is a diner not far from here — nothing fancy, but it’s got good sandwiches, coffee, and pie if you’re into it, we could grab lunch, then head back for the rest of the tour, my treat.”

Piña smiled 

“I would be honored, I don’t know why but it feels fitting.” She said thoughtfully 

Parker grinned gesturing toward the gate “Alright then, Princess. Lunch break it is. Just let me go clock out for lunch.”

After he clocked out, they walked off together, 

Piña still jotted frantic notes and occasionally glanced back at Sadie with a wistful smile.

Parker lead Piña to a diner booth by the window. She sat stiffly at first, unsure how to behave in this setting, notebook peeking from her satchel.

“Here you go. Coffee for you, hun”

“Thanks Rema. I’ll take my usual.” 

“Alright, one cheeseburger ketchup and mustard only”

Rema turned towards Piña.

“And for you honey?”

Piña glanced at the steaming mug.

“Coffee. Thats the dark drink everyone seems to treasure, yes?”

“That’s the one. Careful, though — it’s hot, bitter, and a very acquired taste.”

Piña smirked slightly

“Like certain people I’ve known, very well then, I will try it.”

“And for your meal?” Rema asked.

Piña studies the menu, brow furrowed.

“These dishes… hamburger, grilled cheese, club sandwich. Why so many choices? A tavern back home might serve only stew and bread.”

Parker leaned back, kind of amused

“Welp, that’s America for you. Options on top of options. Personally, I’d say try the burger or grilled cheese. Classic first steps into diner food.”

“Then I shall have a burger.” 

she wrote and underlined the word in her notebook

Rema chuckled, and jotted it down, then walked off. 

A beat passed as they settled in. Parker sipped his coffee, Piña watched the other customers with curiosity. Then she turned back to him. 

“So tell me, Parker — what was your life like before trains? Surely you were not born in a roundhouse, I think that’s what you called it.”

“I mean I somewhat was.

I didn’t always have this job, but I always had a fascination for steam locomotives or really just trains in general, ever since I could speak I’ve been fascinated with trains. My job before this, well….”

He went silent all of a sudden, a deathly sort of silent until he breaks the silence and says

“I don’t… I don’t really like, talking about my old job that much. 

But hey enough about me what about you? 

It’s not every day you get to talk to a person from another world let alone a princess from another world.”

Piña sensed something shifting between them, she saw that he didn’t want to talk about it, she would have to do some investigation, but she wouldn’t ask him directly. 

Not yet anyway.

“Heavy is the crown, as they say — even for one who does not wear it. 

My brother Zorzal, we’re not close. He sought strength in conquest. 

I sought it in peace. That did not make me his favorite.”

She toyed with her fork for a moment, spinning it in her hands, eyes dropping. 

Her tone shifted.

“My brother, he never let me do much of anything. To him, I was a tool, nothing more. 

Something to used when necessary, and be put away when inconvenient. If I wanted to do anything, then I would have to ask my father. I suppose I was useful when it came to politics and things he couldn't understand, but never… Never as myself, never as his sister.”

Parker looked at her for a long moment, then he set his coffee down.

“You know... That ain’t right. You deserve better. You’re nice, kind, and if I’m being completely honest, Piña… I think you’d make a better ruler than anyone I know.” He said in conviction

Piña blinked, surprised by his blunt kindness. There was a faint flush on her cheeks, but she didn't look away.

“You… you truly think so?” 

Parker shrugged 

“Yeah, I’m pretty damn certain. Back in business car you said that you wanted to bring your empire into a new age of prosperity for its people and that you wanted to help the people. Not the people in power, but the common man. People will follow someone like that. Not out of fear, but out of love.”

She paused, then looked down at the table, a small, genuine smile tugging at her lips.

“No one has ever said that to me before.”

Parker grinned, picking up his coffee again

“Guess I’ll be the first. Don’t let it go to your head, though.”

 

She chuckled, the heaviness lifting just a little. 

“Speaking of, that kind of makes me wonder why are you here?

Like here in Northcrest specifically, and with no guards or anything like that no less.”

“I- well ok, when you put it like that, I sound like a naïve fool.”

“Oh. I meant no offense.”

“None taken, but the reason why I’m here is because I wanted to explore. I wanted to see more of the other side. One of the marines at Alnus told me that the US was a good place to start, texas in particular so that’s what I did, I started here.”

“OK well I guess that makes some amount sense, but what about whole the guard thing?”

“Ah, that. My father and Hamilton wanted me to take at least one other person with me, but I wanted to do it alone for once, I’m a grown woman I can take care of myself.”

“Well, I guess that makes some amount of sense too, but now I have a new question. Who the hell is  Hamilton?”

“Oh Hamilton, she’s part of the Rose Order as am I-.”

“The wha-“

“The Rose Order knights. It’s an order of knights that I am a part of in many other young royals are also a part of-”

“So wait... I hate to interrupt you again I truly do. But not only are you a princess, but you’re also a knight!”

“Yes I am.”

“Wow that's amazing, man I'm kind of starting to regret asking not asking these sorts of questions when first met in the cab. But anyway, back to Hamilton, besides another knight what else is she?

“She’s also my advisor. I trust her with my life, but for once I wanted to be a little adventurous.”

“And that’s how you ended up here.”

“Yes and like I said earlier when you put it that way I kind of sound like a fool who got way too ahead of themselves."

“And again I meant no offense by it I am so sorry.”

“No, don't be. I should have done more research.”

“Oh believe me. On paper, cities here might look cool, but trust me most of our big cities are hiding stuff that not even I want to get into. I mean hell unfortunately have our own little red light district here too, but fortunately it's not as bad as the ones in the big cities. It probably covers about only a block or two at most, and the police crackdown hard on it whenever something big happens like a murder or something along those lines, but it's still pretty bad ”

“Might, I ask what is a ‘red light district’?”

“It’s the place where all the criminals and underworld stuff happen, not a good place to get yourself wrapped up in.”

“Oh so it’s your world’s version of the slums, thank you for telling me that. I'll try my best to stay away from it then, But how will I know I'm in the red light district?”

“You'll know it when you see it. Oop food’s here!”

The two ate in companionable silence after that, the glow of the diner’s neon sign reflected in the window beside them.

“So now that we're done here want to check out the engine shop it should be the last thing on the tour so we should have barely enough time because that place is packed with stuff, and trivia.”

“Sure, I would love to know more about it ”

I would love to reiterate this.
This is very much not my final draft. There is a whole more stuff to put in here, including (but not limited to)

them checking out more passenger cars, including

checking out the engine shop/the three engines that are currently being serviced in said the shop (One of them with a very funny story of a skunk trying to break into a sd40-2 Diesel loco to get to a mini fridge that the crew put in the nose compartment)

Parker offering Piña a better place to stay in the place that she picked.

and even Piña meeting Parker‘s dog (a malinois/australian shepherd mix) whom she instantly fell in love with simply because she is so damn cute.

“Does anyone else in here see Diablo in the anime as a ‘Prodigal son’ type of character?”

what do I mean by this?

I mean, does anyone see him as a person trying to do a lost cause (practically selling the empire out to the Chinese) but eventually brought back on the right track?

Does anyone else see him like that or is it just me?

Does anyone know any good HEMA places in San Antonio that do beginner classes? Cause I’ve just been getting Asian martial arts classes.

(nothing wrong with Asian martial arts but it’s just not my cup of coffee)

Anyone know of any good places to start learning?