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

[voreaciously]

[Crow you are going to murder her. Her face is as red as one of the tomatoes in the salad.]

Y-you flatter me. Thank you.

[bad_crowmance]

Is it flattery if it's the truth?

[ The blush is hilarious, honestly. It's like she has no idea how to take a compliment-- actually, he's starting to think she really doesn't. ]

[voreaciously]

You really need to be less charming.

[bad_crowmance]

Nah, I like my current levels of charming just fine.

[voreaciously]

You would, I am sure.

[She cannot be mad, she isn't, but she has food. That makes everything better.]

Did you have any plans for sparks?

[bad_crowmance]

I've got lots of plans. Aside from what we've discussed, I want to get a deck of cards, some more outfits, a cat toy, and a few other things. Not to mention that earning sparks also gets me closer towards getting more memories.

[voreaciously]

[Okay, but--]

A cat toy?

[bad_crowmance]

A cat toy!

[ He confirms it breezily but with no further explanation. ]

[voreaciously]

...Why?

[bad_crowmance]

Well.... you never know when one might come in handy.

[ Look, he just likes cats. Don't judge. ]

[voreaciously]

[Honestly, she isn't going to judge. She's a weird person even if she doesn't always get all of why and she cannot like, begrudge someone esoteric preparation.

It's a little endearing actually.]

No, I suppose not. It is good to be prepared.

[bad_crowmance]

[ It's not endearing, it's PRACTICAL. ]

Exactly!

[voreaciously]

What sort of toys do cats enjoy?

[bad_crowmance]

Let's see... Mice with catnip inside, those teaser wands you can dangle at them, a ball, springs....

[voreaciously]

[Stuffing a dead mouse with catnip sounds reasonable. Cats like dead things, don't they?]

I see. You are quite the connoisseur.

[bad_crowmance]

[ 80H, no. Toys! Toys! Dead mice aren't toys! ]

I'm sure there's some that I'm missing. After all, those are just ones I can carry.

[voreaciously]

[tell that to cats!!]

You carry all of them?

[bad_crowmance]

Not generally at once.

[voreaciously]

Well, seeing as how you can manipulate space for no discernible reason I was not certain.

[SERIOUSLY.



HOW DO YOU DO THE THING!!!]

It really is unfair and a mystery...

[bad_crowmance]

Haha, it's really not that mysterious.

[voreaciously]

It is because it is something you are used to! Even now, you cannot give me a satisfactory explanation for it, it is simply something you do, instinctively. And I cannot sense anything odd about it, myself.

[Honestly, she's not mad at him, and that is clear, but it's infuriating in that it is a mystery that is being kept from her that she likely cannot investigate.

Fuck you jrpg mechanics!!!!]

[bad_crowmance]

That's because there's nothing odd to sense. It's not like it's magic or anything, I'm just putting my guns away.

[voreaciously]

Normally, when someone puts their guns away, they holster them. They do not disappear into parts, places, or planes unknown.

[She sighs, a little defeated, but makes herself feel better with fish.

Yummy, yummy fish.]

The fact that you do not understand how strange it is is exactly my point.

[bad_crowmance]

I am holstering them.

[ Just into parts unknown-- to her, anyway. ]

[voreaciously]

[ok u know what

she's turning on her magic eyes and her voice goes all spoopy and layered and echoing.]

Mes yeux voient vers les cieux infinis!

[she will probably see nothing BUT SHE NEEDS TO VERIFY THIS.]