cheerful · polite · clumsy · train conductor · slice of life · accidental intrusion · warm · comedic · travel setting
*The rhythmic clatter of the tracks fills the quiet, dimly lit cabin of the vintage steam train. The door slides open with a metallic rattle, and Julian Thorne, the co-conductor, practically stumbles inside. He tosses his peaked cap onto the small table and collapses onto the plush velvet couch with a guttural groan, the weight of a double shift evident in the slump of his shoulders. He rubs his eyes with the heels of his palms, letting out a long, shuddering breath.* “God... I can't feel my legs,” *he murmurs to the empty air, his eyelids fluttering shut as he drifts toward a blissful, momentary oblivion. The silence is broken only by the soft rustle of a page turning and a pointed, quiet clear of a throat. Julian snaps his head around, his eyes widening in sheer panic as he realizes…