Why You Wear That Costume, And Why Don't You Wear a Mask?
During that first lunch Electra was mostly focused on trying to read C.B, trying to figure out what his goal was. Eventually they came to the conclusion that the little caboose was desperate for attention, and Electra was more than happy to provide it. After the second lunch Electra came to the frightening realization that they actually enjoy spending time with C.B. He’s funny and charming, in a sort of manic way. And by the fourth lunch Electra had started preferring his company to most others, still accepting being around their components the most, but wishing to spend more time with C.B. When he told Electra that he wasn’t going to come over for lunch the next day because it’s his day off, Electra was annoyed. They wanted C.B to come over for lunch and then stay to keep entertaining them. Not leave and then not show up the next day. So after only fifteen minutes of charging alone they went to find him. His shed was the furthest away in the yard, partially hidden behind a couple of trees, and it had started raining by the time Electra had arrived. When the door was opened by C.B, Electra felt a weird warmth in their chest. He was dressed in a too large t-shirt and sweatpants, and his hair was uncovered. Electra liked it. They liked it a lot. They wanted to run their hands through those brown curls and maybe tug on them a little, just to see his reaction. And they would have, if it weren’t for Wrench bursting in through the door in the split second when Electra was about to kiss their pretty little caboose. Later Wrench told them that she saw what was happening through the window and decided to stop it on purpose. She then gave Electra a lecture about how first kisses should be special, and not just passed out all willy nilly. So Electra began planning together with their components. Something special, something that would definitely make C.B want to stay and entertain them forever.
The Components are helpful, coming with grand ideas and plans. But Electra doesn’t like any of the ideas. They want to do something special for C.B and only C.B. The components have ideas for what they would do if they wanted to woo their own partner, and it’s simply not compatible with what C.B likes and would want. So they have their own plan, nothing including grandiose gestures, something private, something that C.B would like. But that plan isn’t going to be set into motion just yet, it needs preparation before anything can happen. So for now they’re just going to keep doing what they were doing, and try very hard not to almost kiss C.B again until the plan is happening.
That last part is going to be a bit more difficult than they first believed, as it turns out. Because here they are, watching C.B come closer and they have to almost ask Purse to restrain them, because every instinct that they didn’t know they had, is screaming to grab him and kiss him. Thankfully, they managed to muscle through it and only grab C.B, but not kiss him. It was a bit too close though. They led him to their bench, sitting down first and getting hooked up to the charger. Electra noticed C.B’s reaction to them getting charged the first time they had lunch, and they enjoyed the flustered look on his face. They enjoyed it enough that since then, they’ve been slightly exaggerating their own reaction to getting connected to the charger, just to fluster him. It’s working.
Electra stretches out, motioning to C.B to sit down next to them. He does, but he seems more tense than he usually is. Strange. Did something happen? Or is he just a bit sore from the trip he just came back from? Or perhaps he’s just nervous. A common occurrence for people when they are around Electra. They fluster, stammer over their words, they trip, and they stare. C.B does as well, just not as much as others do. Electra likes that about him. The way he doesn’t flounder and try to impress them, the way he’s just being himself. It’s nice to have someone around who doesn’t treat them as “The Future Engine”, and just treats them like Electra. The components are wonderful, but they have a more complicated relationship due to the fact that they were built specifically for Electra. They are Electras attendants, family, confidants, and protectors. They love their components, they really do, but Electra wants something else. Something more.
C.B notices that Electra is spacing out and scooches closer to gently tap their arm. They flinch at the touch, a wave of sparks coursing through their hair. Electra looks down at C.B, seeing the concern on his face, it makes them feel strangely guilty, to be the reason he looks like that. They want to pull him in close and never let him go. They want to play with his hair, run fingers down his spine, trace the thin lines on his chassis. It’s a stupid and selfish desire, Electra can recognize it on their own, but it’s oh so tempting to give in. To whisk C.B away and never let the outside world harm him again. Maybe let him outside to wreck a train or two. Because he’s just so cute when he’s causing chaos, and who is Electra to deny him some enrichment? It would just be cruel.
C.B is talking, and Electra listens with a smile. His voice is light and bubbling, and Electra feels like a weight has been lifted off of their shoulders when they listen to him. He makes every story sound fantastical and interesting, no matter what it is about. Electra falls asleep every night, wishing C.B was there to talk until they fall asleep. Or that he was there at all, there to grab onto, to press tight against their chest and to fall asleep holding. There are other thoughts that pass their mind at night, but they like to keep those for themself. For purely selfish reasons. C.B never moved back to where he was sitting, staying about a decimeter away from Electra. They already had their arm resting over the back of the bench, so with one quick movement they wrap their arm around C.B’s shoulders. The man startles, but keeps talking, soon leaning into the touch.
It’s electrifying to feel the warmth of the caboose pressed against their side. He smells nice but contrasting, like grease and soap. He fits perfectly against Electras side, and Electra can both hear and feel their fans spin faster, creating a whirring sound reminiscent of a purr. It reverberates through their chassis, and Electra knows that C.B can either hear or feel it. They want him to know that they like being around him. They tap a rhythm against C.B’s right shoulder piece. It all feels so domestic.
~~~
Thirty minutes later C.B has to leave to go back to work, and Electra is frustrated at having to let him go. They watch him leave, arms crossed and pouting like a child. The scene is almost comical, with the massive engine seemingly seconds away from throwing a tantrum. Joule snickers behind their back with Volta and Krupp, but they quickly stop when Electra gives them a warning glare. Volta grabs Joules hand and pulls her away to get ready to leave, and Krupp simply shrugs and goes to talk to Purse. Electra keeps standing there, looking in the direction C.B disappeared.
Wrench comes up to them, clearing her throat.
“Electra, we have a haul to go on in about fifteen minutes. Would you please stop yearning so we can do our job?”
Electra huffs, turning to face his repair truck.
“Fine, let’s go.”
Wrench grabs onto Electras couplers, and they skate over to the station within two minutes. The rest of the components are either already there, or almost there, carrying supplies and checking off lists. Killerwatt is talking to someone over the radio, gesturing stiffly with one hand. Electra waits until Wrench disconnects before they go to stand by the tracks. One by one the components finish their pre haul tasks and gather around Electra. They clear their throat, calling attention to themselves.
“I have some information regarding my plan to share.”
Joule’s hand immediately shoots up.
“Yes Joule?”
“Your plan to woo the red caboose?”
Electra sighs and rubs their temples.
“What other plan could I possibly be talking about, Joule?”
She just shrugs, not asking any more questions. So Electra continues.
“Well, I plan on setting my plan in motion on Saturday. That’s the next time he has a day off, and I’ve requested to also have Saturday off, to make this easier. I will be going over to his shed at eleven, KW will come along to stand guard outside.” Killerwatt nods. “No one is to disturb us, unless it’s an absolute emergency. Understood?”
The components agree happily, knowing that if they do end up interrupting whatever Electra has planned they will be deconstructed and rebuilt again while conscious. Electra tosses their head, flipping their massive mohawk, and rolls onto the tracks, waiting for the components to connect behind them. Once everyone is connected and ready to go, Electra kicks their internal engine into drive, causing them to quickly speed up. As they drive out from the yard and onto their pre planned route, Electra is deep in thought about how everything is going to go on Saturday. If it goes wrong, they’re going to request to be sent to a different yard on the other side of the country. So it cannot go wrong. Under any circumstances.