un: ut malum pluvia | audio

[somebadnews]

[ Five is at the dining car, drinking coffee and writing on various napkins, as he's inclined to do when a time anomaly fucks with his ability to relax for more than a day. There's no denying he has more energy than he has in a long time — which means he's generally been harassing the staff, who have called him 'young man' one too many times and keep refusing to add whiskey to his coffee. He hasn't ended that war yet; they'll regret forcing him to get regular sleep.

Frustrated after he's crossed out yet another equation, he finally does something he rarely does: addresses the network. ]

I couldn't care less about a wedding, but there's obviously more going on here besides stealing dreams and sealing away powers to keep the train running smoothly. [ And no, he isn't letting that slide either. ] I spoke to the conductor, and didn't get a damn thing out of him. He's obsessed with the wellbeing of the train and wasn't concerned about Prassenze going missing that first night, which I can only assume he doesn't remember happening.

[ If he'd known that day would be effectively erased, he could have taken advantage. He's been going over his conversation with the conductor more times than he cares to count, and he's decided that he went far too easy on him. ]

He mentioned that we have 'old-issue' tickets, along with most of the wedding party, meaning at least a few of them are frequent travelers who have renewed their tickets over a long period of time. No bodies are missing from the train, because apparently they can track us, by our dreams or otherwise. There were no acts of violence, nothing came through the open window, and there's nothing that would explain why the bride keeps changing forms or what caused a time loop that only we could perceive. [ Which doesn't make sense. That's not how time loops work. ] Logic would say that she's the one behind the anomaly, but enough people were against the wedding that there could be other suspects who are lying about not remembering the first two weddings.

[ He's one cup of coffee away from taking his paranoia too far, but in his opinion they're not taking this seriously enough. They should be grateful that he's at least opening it up to theories. ]

Who here has been in a time loop before, show of hands? Who knows that messing with time is dangerous? Even something as innocent as rewinding a wedding. [ He would know. ] We survived an apocalypse. I don't have to tell you that our odds were not in our favor. Let's keep that streak going, and stop the next one before it gets that close, shall we?

Comments

[somebadnews]

So what's keeping you from alerting the staff and turning this into a witch hunt?

[blackscales]

If Mr Bauc was aware the storms were operating at high levels the staff clearly know something is going on. Prassenze is missing, but you say the conductor isn't concerned. That implies to me there's additional information we don't know. Why are they unconcerned?

[somebadnews]

He called it a 'domestic issue' and bragged about his brilliantly constructed train. Along with how perfect his memory is.

Obviously there's plenty they're not telling us. I haven't checked if they have a private jail somewhere on board where she might be stashed away.

[ Because he can't teleport right now and walls are suddenly an issue. He hates it. ]

[blackscales]

A domestic issue implies he does indeed think it is between Firo and Prassenze.

[somebadnews]

So either he doesn't remember enough to be concerned, or he's lying. Unless you're saying you agree with him.

[blackscales]

I'm not certain he's lying, but I think he's aware of likely of the storms and the Prassenze being 'missing' without the wider ramifications.

[somebadnews]

Since when have we avoided ramifications?

[blackscales]

You misunderstand. I think the conductor is unconcerned because he's aware of the storms and use of potential dream magic, but not of the actual impact -- the wedding repeat. That's what I meant by ramifications.

[somebadnews]

That's only the impact we know of right now. As much of a control freak as he came off as, I can't believe he'd willingly let that slide.

He wasn't even a fan of the wedding happening on his train in the first place, let alone three times.

[blackscales]

Of course not. I'd assume they only paid the one supplement to host the wedding.

[ This is a joke. ]

[somebadnews]

[ Which does give more credence to the time loop theory, coincidentally. (Five's sense of humor is... different.) ]

Right. They'd notice if they were running out after the third time around. So they either have endless catering supplies, or time is resetting but just for them.

[blackscales]

Perhaps something to ask, the state of the supplies may help establish if this a limited overwrite of reality or a wider reset of the train.

[somebadnews]

You want to take another swing at the conductor?

[blackscales]

The deputy conductor has been more useful to me to date.

[somebadnews]

Fine with me. Let me know what he says.

[ If he was waiting for permission. ]