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

[bad_crowmance]

[ He considers for a moment....

...then removes his gloves and holds them out to her. ]

Here you go?

[desirestruth]

[Well. She considers this. And peels her own gloves off. Maybe making a note to replace his later. His hands are a fair bit bigger than hers so this looks ridiculous but, she's not going to make him feel awkward about this.]

Thank you.

[bad_crowmance]

No problem!

[ She looks ridiculous in his gloves but it's cute so he's not gonna say anything. ]

[desirestruth]

[We're just all going to pretend this is normal.]

Your pick again. [She is noticing they're running out of 'easy' squares...]

1/2

[bad_crowmance]

Hmmm.....

[bad_crowmance]

I think you have very pretty eyes!

[ Guess what square that is. ]

[desirestruth]

[SNRK.]

And you have excellent fashion sense, yourself.

[bad_crowmance]

I do, don't I? Thanks!

[desirestruth]

[She's giggling a bit, he's just so unabashed by all of it, it's funny to her.]

Well, then. ...I think there's something I can teach you, at least. Let's see...give me one of your hands, the one you'll mind least if it goes numb for a little bit. It won't hurt or do any damage, I promise.

[bad_crowmance]

I'm ambidextrous, either will be fine.

[ He holds out his right hand. ]

[desirestruth]

[She takes it, and considers this, before rolling his sleeve up a bit past his elbow.] This is most useful in close combat, but, if you put pressure on this point here--

[She pushes on a point just below his elbow, cutting off blood flow. His hand will start getting that tingly feeling from falling asleep nearly immediately.]

That will numb your opponent's arm and make it much easier to escape. Alternatively, at the base of the thumb, or here at the wrist, will cause a great deal of pain and get most anyone to let you go.

[She does point those out but doesn't use them, since she promised it wouldn't hurt. She'll also release his arm now, too.]

...Though come to think of it, I feel like the points that stimulate bloodflow to certain regions would have been more suited to you, but I won't be demonstrating those on your body.

[bad_crowmance]

[ He waves the numb hand around for a bit before dropping it to his side. ]

That's pretty cool.

[ And then his mouth slides into a grin. ]

I wanna hear more about those other ones sometime!

[desirestruth]

Find me someone I'm willing to demonstrate that on.

[Which means convince Luci to let her do this to him in front of you, Crow.]

[bad_crowmance]

You have yourself a deal.

[desirestruth]

On your own head be it.

[bad_crowmance]

I'll accept that. And now I'm gonna teach you a skill, too.

[desirestruth]

Oh, this is alarming.

[It's not. But she's kind of wondering what he's going to teach her...]

[bad_crowmance]

Nothing about me could ever possibly be alarming.

[desirestruth]

I have no choice but to take your word for it right now.

[bad_crowmance]

Do you know how to count cards?

[desirestruth]

Count cards?

[She tilts her head to the side. She clearly hasn't heard of this particular method of cheating.]

[bad_crowmance]

It's a card game strategy used primarily in the blackjack family of casino games to determine whether the next hand is likely to give a probable advantage to the player or to the dealer. Basically, the idea's to attempt to decrease the inherent casino house edge by keeping a running tally of all high and low valued cards seen by the player.

[desirestruth]

Ohh...

[She's considering this.] This would be useful in hold 'em and rummy, too, wouldn't it?

[bad_crowmance]

It sure would!

[desirestruth]

In the interests of full disclosure, I'd usually just mark the cards with a scent I can pick up.

[Since, you know, we're being honest about cheating methods here.]