audio | un: wisdom | wedding day three

[mashiara]

Right, so this happened. Again. In case the lot of you who get the whole feast for a third time also see the bride go missing, a heads up:

The conductor can track any ticket or numbered staff member on board. Any. The man needs help beyond anything I have the time or ability to give, but he's far from the worst when it comes to devotions to the train. The staff serves it tea every morning. Before any of you are up. We don't all sleep, do you know? I haven't slept since I got on board.

Either way, see about asking him where she's going if she disappears again tonight.

And if any of the staff tell you about being kind to the train, praying to the train, polishing the train for the train, don't laugh where they can hear you. The chamber maids cry about it later. How misunderstood, they say, the train is. How unenlightened the ticket bearers, to not understand the train's benevolence. If I have to hear that one more time I'll scream.

Comments

[somebadnews]

[ He outright ignores her vaguely insulting question. At least he's asking some. The train has taken too many liberties with them, so she'll have to forgive him for skipping to the point. ]

Meaning the wedding party. Were you warned what would happen to you if you stole from them?

[mashiara]

They don't all stay together, the man with the herbs stays there too.

( And that's all she says, because Five is pushing her very thin patience beyond the point of her not snapping. She, instead, aggressively fluffs pillows.

He can't see it, but he can definitely hear Something Happening. )

[somebadnews]

[ Five frowns at that answer that isn't one, and the telling noises after. If he offended her, he remains oblivious, and assumes she's aggravated because she's in denial about the train-cult. ]

...Anything else you picked up in all those extra hours you've spent wandering around?

[mashiara]

( Five please, the train cult is so very real and she's so Very Tired Of It. )

Not anything useful to what strangeness is going on, I'd have shared it if there was. In the mutually awake hours, that young man Buck is planning to say what strange things we saw the last two mornings in the rubbish being hauled out. Those dream boxes being used, and nonsense about what living dreams can or cannot do.

[somebadnews]

[ If they can do what he's heard rumors about, they really should be upping the effort to find them. ]

I assume you've been looking for the boxes, since you've got access the rest of us don't. It might be the only leverage we have.

[mashiara]

... No, because I don't have unlimited access to pilfering through everyone's things. Ask that Karsa about the boxes if you must.

[somebadnews]

I should have guessed Karsa was behind the arrangements. Facilitating a grudge for the Merchant again?

[ Look he was in a bad way when he boarded, he obviously missed a few dealings. ]

[mashiara]

According to her, the man's paying favours to an old friend.