The Ninth Trial

[advisories]

Who: everyone
When: Day 18, starting just after dawn
Where: The Hermit's Tent, and all around

[This morning as the sun begins to pour through the train's windows, there's the tremor that signals a Trial.]

Come hither, Heroes. Prove thy worth. Or something like that!

[It's the same older man's voice from the sixth trial, and outside is the same fortune teller's stall. Today the front flap is lifted to show a normal interior -- there's a wooden table, carved with geometric patterns and painted in bright colours, lit by teal-coloured carved candles.

At the table sits a man of indeterminate age, somewhere between 30 and 60. He's wearing what appear to be monk's robes, teal with patterned trimming. In front of him is a crystal ball and a stack of bingo cards, along with a stand-up sign bearing the rules of this Trial.

Across the top in large font, it says:

Icebreaker Bingo

Good luck and have fun!]

Comments

[bowtiedbones]

Good morning. And I would, yes!

[unaffective]

Would you like to begin, in that case?

[bowtiedbones]

Sure‐ oh! Actually, since we're about the same height, want to do a trust fall? I don't want to accidentally drop someone bigger than me!

[unaffective]

That seems reasonable... would you like to catch me?

[bowtiedbones]

That’s fine with me.

[unaffective]

... Would you like me to fall now?

[bowtiedbones]

[holds out her arms]

I'm ready.

[unaffective]

[ after a moment or so's hesitation, she

well

she hesitates again. and then falls back on her heels. ]

[bowtiedbones]

[will of course catch her]

There we go!

[unaffective]

Thank you.

[ hopping back into an upright position. wew ]

Is there anything else that you'd like to do?

[bowtiedbones]

Exchange gifts? I don't think we need to do anything big to fill the square.

[unaffective]

[ ah but what is she supposed to give for a gift though?

it's not that she doesn't know how gifts work, so much as she's at a bit of a loss of what she could offer someone as a gift in a place like this, even for a game. a cigarette isn't a good gift under any circumstances.

so after a somewhat awkward pause, she reaches back behind her head and unties the senna-red ribbon braided in, handing it over. ]

[bowtiedbones]

Oh! That's a good idea— here, I'll swap you.

[pulling a thyme-green hair tie off her wrist to trade]