Realistic or Modern Escapism (Closed)

[PeriwinkleSky]

irregular-neptune Eleyvan BlossomsOfRainbows
RP Thread for Escapism!

Spoiler: Plot

Set in the 90s, this plot follows a group of three who have all left their previous homes with nothing more than the clothes on their backs and maybe a small bag of their belongings. They all have their different reasons for going on the run, but the important thing is that they don’t want to be caught. It’s pure chance that they run into one another, all of them managing to jump into the same empty train car one day. Now, they travel together, scraping together what money they have to get food and supplies while simultaneously trying to get along in this hectic new life they’ve made for themselves.

 

[PeriwinkleSky]

October 5th, 1992

The sun barely peeked out behind the many clouds littering the sky, the soft morning light illuminating the small railyard. It was lit in a sleepy yellow, the hulking train’s usual colors being washed out in but the sun’s soft glow. There were a few people moving about at a sluggish pace, attempting to fully wake themselves up in time for their various railroad shifts. The air was still cool from the previous night and the air surrounding the tracks smelled like morning dew, not yet the typical industrial smell that would come about as trains start up and move through the tracks as the day goes on. There weren't many trains there currently, and the few that were had only a fraction of obviously open and empty boxcars.

Reggie eyed the open box car from his spot crouched in the bushes. It shouldn’t be too hard to get in there, especially when every worker around seemed to be trying to wake up, but it didn’t mean he wanted to risk capture. As he adjusted the bag hanging off his shoulder, he was reminded why he wanted to skip this town quickly. He had been caught shoplifting- only a couple of smaller things like water bottles and chips, but it was enough for the shopkeeper to chase him out while threatening to call the cops on him. While there was doubt in Reggie’s mind about the seriousness of this, he wasn’t risking getting caught. The town was small, and Reggie stood out quite a lot in an average crowd.

As he reminisced, annoyance prickled inside of him. For God’s sake, it was just some water! “The nerve of some people,” He huffed quietly. His pity party was cut short as the train’s whistle sounded out across the clearing, breaking the serenity the morning brought. While Reggie hadn’t exactly been doing this long, he knew that sound meant some train was going to be moving real soon, and he had to be on it. “Shit!” He hissed under his breath, quickly looking both ways up and down the track before dashing towards the nearest open car. While not exactly stealthy, he was certainly quick enough to avoid the notice of those preparing for the train’s departure. Quickly, Reggie backed himself up against the wall of the car, hiding out of sight from anyone walking outside, paying no attention to the actual contents of the car as he focused on the outside.​

 

[BlossomsOfRainbows]

Hidden between the trees littering the area around the tracks, Spencer tried to keep his breathing even and quiet. His cheeks were still stained with tears and there were bags under his eyes indicating a lack of sleep. He hadn’t slept at all the previous night. He had spent most of it crying and planning. Train hopping had admittedly been one of his last resorts, but he has ran into too many dead ends with other options he had debated. This was the easiest option, even if it was a risky one.

The teen kept catching himself flashing back to the previous night. He felt an overwhelming sense of regret hit the pit of his stomach. Maybe if he hadn’t told his parents he was trans. Maybe if he hadn’t said he liked more than just boys. Maybe things wouldn’t have had to come to this. He shook his head to snap himself out of it. He wasn’t going to live a lie. He pressed his hand to his cheek where there was still a mark from being slapped. It still stung a little to touch.

“I can’t keep thinking about that.” He muttered to himself. He tugged slightly at the binder that held his chest and slung the small backpack over his shoulders. Once he heard the sound of a moving train, he came back to his senses. “Here goes nothing.” He emerged out of the trees towards the one open car. He knew his lack of stealth wouldn’t get him far, so he moved quickly enough that if anyone did see him they couldn’t catch him.

Successfully making it into the car, he leaned against the wall and tried to catch his breath and keep from having a panic attack. He adjusted his hat over his eyes and curled up in a ball. He was completely unaware he wasn’t alone.

 

[irregular-neptune]

Em shivered in the cool October air and slid on their denim jacket before re-shouldering their backpack. It wasn't super cold out, but they hadn't packed planning for being on the road as long as they had, so some of their clothes weren't quite weather appropriate. Plus, the nights were fairly chilly and they layered as much as they could but sometimes it got to them. Em rubbed their hands on their upper arms to generate heat as they surveyed the train yard in the darkness. They'd learned that the best time to sneak on the train cars was the most wee hours of the morning or late at night, after they'd stocked the cars for the next day but before people bustled around in preparation to leave. They didn't always hit that perfect window and would still leave by way of train if they didn't, but there were those golden moments where they would get it and this was one of them.

They took a long drag on their cigarette before putting the butt out on the ground and sticking it in a side pocket of their backpack to dispose of later. Crouched low to the ground, they sneaked as far to the edge of the building in the railyard they were hiding behind and peeked to make sure none of the (fairly sparse) guards around them. When they saw the coast was clear, they all out sprinted to the train car and hopped up, quickly getting to the back of the car and listening for anyone coming after them. They heard rustling leaves crunching, presumably the footsteps of the guards, lead off away from the train car and assumed that they were fine, so they took their backpack off. There wasn't a lot in this car which was sometimes a little odd, but there were a couple of crates and it was near the end of the train so they didn't think much of it, just set up behind one of the crates and laid down, using their backpack as a makeshift pillow. There wasn't a lot in it, mostly clothes, so it wasn't uncomfortable, and after six months of this they could basically sleep anywhere.

Sleep wasn't always easy -- sometimes they'd be kept up all night, worried about getting caught or thinking about where their next meal would be from. Right now, Em's stomach was more on the empty side but it wasn't growling yet so they hoped they'd be able to find something early in the morning. It wasn't always easy, but they had a couple of dollars left from an odd job they'd worked a few days ago that they had stretched about as far as they could. They weren't sure where their next job would come from or if they'd have to hope and beg, but they were pretty good at sussing out the local homeless shelters and groups and tried to make connections as quickly as they could arriving at a town, but it wasn't always easy. They weren't a people person and were pretty obviously queer, even with their mohawk kind of growing out and messy. Plus, piercings and tattoos didn't make you the most sympathetic case to the masses, and so they were adjusting to that struggle. There wasn't a lot they could do, anyway, being 16 and technically on the run from their legal guardians.

Thinking about this exhausted them and so they started to doze off after a few hours of laying there, the early morning light just barely visible from inside the car. Just as they began to doze, they heard the train whistle, which didn't bother them on its own, but the following sounds of a person (people?) entering the train car caused them to jolt awake and hide themself more thoroughly behind the crate, before peeking over it and seeing two people on either side entrance of the train car, both leaning up against the wall and seemingly oblivious to anyone else in the car. Not wanting to make any loud noises and startle them (the one curled up into a ball seemed a little skittish, though Em couldn't see their face), they just sat there for a few seconds before clearing their throat and saying quietly, "Uh, if you're going to come in here -- and that's totally fine, don't even worry -- but come into the back a little more, they can probably still see you up there."