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

[nihilmancy]

Mm.

[She starts to cry in heaving broken sobs, but keeping it quiet so others in the room won't hear.]

[desirestruth]

[It's okay. Naeva will just sit here and allow Hlasoh to cry herself out. there's really not much more she could say, at this point.]

[nihilmancy]

[Continuing to pet the jackal, though. Eventually, she speaks in a hoarse voice.]

I'm sorry. That wasn't very dignified of me. And you had problems of your own.

[desirestruth]

I don't require you to be dignified, Hlasoh.

[She's not going to address the other point.]

[nihilmancy]

That's not it. I don't know what it is, though. I'm not even sure why I told you this so soon. Or asked you. But, thank you, regardless.

[desirestruth]

['Because you're lonely, Hlasoh.' No, let's not say that out loud.]

You're welcome.

[nihilmancy]

[Well, she is. She sniffles loudly, and lets the jackal go.]

Um, give me a moment.

[desirestruth]

Take your time. [She's going to change back, though, if Hlasoh's done with hugs for the moment.]

[nihilmancy]

Maybe I needed to say those things for a long time. I do not know. I'm... tired. I want to go back to the easy ones.

[desirestruth]

[Naeva kind of staring at her card.]

...Which one of these are easy?

ALSO THERE WAS A BOND UP THERE WHAT WITH THE EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWN OKAY

[nihilmancy]

...Wed, bed, behead? Oh, wait, Lucien. Hmm.

...Pretend to be favorite animal?

[desirestruth]

...[POP. JACKAL AGAIN.]

[nihilmancy]

Um... meow. Meoooooow. Mrow?

[Licks the back of her hand.]

[desirestruth]

[She is trying very hard not to giggle or remark on how cute that is.]

Cats, huh?

[nihilmancy]

No, a parrot with a long tongue. The long-tongue parrot. You lose.

[desirestruth]

Long tongue parrots are a delicacy in my country.

[Deadpanned.]

[nihilmancy]

Barbarian.

[desirestruth]

Rather culturally insensitive, isn't that?

[nihilmancy]

Long tongue parrots are as intelligent as a five year old child, you villain.

Er, want to do an experiment? I'm not sure what, though.

[desirestruth]

So are cows.

But I was also joking.

[Seriously she's not gonna eat a cat unless she has to.]

Just need to test some kind of hypothesis, right?

[nihilmancy]

Hm, yes. I'm trying to think.

You could see if my blood actually would have strange effects, but I have the impression that may be strange for both of us.