auroraexpress | The Seventeeth Trial

Who: trialgoers
When: Day 39, evening
Where: The Cat's Zone

[Have you enjoyed your day playing in your new train cars? Great! Because now it's Trial Time.

With the usual alert, the Cat's bar appears in the clearing. There's no "come hither" -- instead, just the pounding of bass from the speakers as the door cracks open. Inside there's flashing party lights, upbeat club music, and high-top tables surrounding a wide dance floor. The stage in the corner is empty except for a single microphone.

At the bar you can get free drinks, but you'll have to contend with the bartender -- a black cat curled up on the shelf between the bottles.

On the bar, and on every table, is a sign showing the rules of this game, titled:

Kiss or Dare

If you want to dress up for the club, or want costumes for daring purposes, there's a dressing room behind the stage with a magic closet. You'll find whatever you like in it, but when the trial ends you can only take home what you're wearing!

Good luck!]

RULES | TURN-IN | THE CAT / DISQUALIFICATION

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I think you're going to love them.

It's like being able to watch a play in your own home.

...Odd. I know some magic can, ah, record and project images but to do so on a mass scale is-- quite strange.

That is the wonders of technology. I'm getting some DVDs for a movie night in the lounge car, I should be able to play it on the big screen.

I dare you to tell me your favorite story genres.

Hmm, perhaps.

Ah, um- Adventure, drama, s-sometimes romance.

[He nods.]

Do you know Pride and Prejudice? That has a pretty good movie.

I am afraid not. It wasn't in my study.

Look for Jane Austin books then. They're pretty good romances and got plenty of movies.

Hm, alright then. Whose turn was it?

Your turn. I'll take a dare.

Tell me a bad joke.

Why did the scarecrow win an award?

Because he was outstanding in his field.

...That was absolutely hideous. I love it.

I got a lot more.

...Give me a worse one.

Did you hear about the restaurant on the moon?

Great food, no atmosphere.

...I do not understand.

....right, space knowledge. That's....okay, that might take a pretty thorough science lesson to explain.

Space...? Because, the moon is far away, so there is a lot of space between us and it?

Oh boy.

There's no real concise way to explain that. Though we might have some books on it now...

I will investigate the topic, have I the time. There are some books in my study as well.

[Nods.] Should be something, there's a lot of the subject involved with my world. [Space travel.]

How about something a little more universal...

Wanna hear a bad cat joke?

Just kitten!