(no subject)

[trainmasters]

Who: everyone
When: Day 59, evening
Where: near the Aurora

[As evening closes in, with the candy hearts and decorations still around, the train is assaulted by... a smell.

An awful smell, like mold and rot, that drifts down the honey river from the spring deeper into the plateau, preceded by a wave of fleeing eels. The river changes from golden to a sickly greenish black sludge and rises, beginning to spill over its banks.

Everywhere the sludge spills, tendrils of stick black "candy" grow, looking somewhere between weeds and tentacles. They move, and reach out hungrily towards you. If they catch you they'll cling to you, covering you in sludge and minor scrapes, though they don't seem able to do much more harm than that. Anyone touched by sludge will feel unbearably lonely, and find themselves either unable to lie or unable to tell the truth. Which depends on the person, though it's more likely to be whichever urge is more foreign to the individual.

The sludge is hard to remove. In fact, it'll only come off when washed by someone else's hands...

On the bright side, the river will clear and the weeds will disappear by morning, so hang in there!]

Comments

[malignstar]

[ Felix is pacing outside Thyme's car for some reason, running a hand through his hair and looking uncharacteristically anxious. ]

This is a wholly terrible idea...

[bowtiedbones]

[giving him a second look just because he said "wholly"]

What is?

[malignstar]

[ Looks up quickly and those eyes are golden, not red. Though the uncertainty is still there. He stops rubbing at his hair to fold his arms over his chest and glance away. ]

Introducing myself, as he put it.

[ Under his breath: ]

... You have an abundance of nerve to call me rude, you ill-mannered playboy.

[bowtiedbones]

Don't argue in front of me or I'll start taking sides.

[malignstar]

He can at least grant me some privacy when I am trying to hold a conversation. I did not interrupt him.

... nor would I have if I had the opportunity.

[bowtiedbones]

That's for you two to figure out when you're not talking to me. What's this about an introduction?

[malignstar]

[ "Felix" gives a long suffering sigh. ]

As you are by now aware, your Felix and I are not the same. Though I cannot tell you the exact nature of our connection. Nor do I have a name to offer you.

... I am not using Daemon.

My apologies. This is a rather poor showing of an introduction. The intent was... honesty. I was not forthright with you before. I thought it might worsen matters. But it seems the decision was made for us both.

[bowtiedbones]

Well, as long as you're doing it now.

I can give you a Thyme name, if you want? We have a lot of saberteeth names that haven't been used yet.

[malignstar]

... if you would like.

[bestbrotherever]

That does not seem to deter any of the others on this train. Why do you worry?

[malignstar]

[ A pair of golden (not red) eyes snap toward the less familiar voice, wary and unfriendly. ]

I am not worried.

[ Under his breath: ]

... I do not intend to start anything.

[bestbrotherever]

My mistake. What word would you choose for your behavior? Afraid? [Loki could really use a passenger in his head to talk him out of needling people.]

[malignstar]

I fail to see why it is your concern.

[bestbrotherever]

We are all stuck here together, are we not? I should like to know if your "terrible idea" might have any adverse effects for the rest of us.

[malignstar]

My terrible idea involves nobody but myself and Thyme. That should assuage your concerns.

[bestbrotherever]

If you say so.

[Loki makes no move to leave, though.]

[malignstar]

[ Sighs and folds his arms, his posture ridiculously formal ]

... Is there something else you require?

[daydreamshimmer]

What is?

[Hello, was walking by.]

[malignstar]

... I was not expecting to see you again so soon.

[daydreamshimmer]

Well, you are just in the hall.

[malignstar]

[ Sighs ]

That is not what I meant.

[daydreamshimmer]

Then what did you mean?

[malignstar]

I was not expecting to have a conversation.

[daydreamshimmer]

Well, I mean, you are kind of anti-social, do you ever?

[malignstar]

I am not anti-social. I have not been given much of a chance to be social at all.