Mid-event, evening; audio only

[mustknow]

These.. crystals we're collecting.

How vital will having all four be, really? And if this train stops every two weeks to pick up more passengers.. what of all those yet to arrive?



[And then, a little bit later:]



Do any of you have a dog onboard the train?

Comments

[consider8]

So is the mastery of many things.

Why the rush?

[mustknow]

The train arrives on day one, the train leaves on day three. Not much choice in staying and working on it longer.

[consider8]

They mystery will remain whether we solve it now or then. If anything, I would be concerned of volunteering others when we don't know what might happen once the full set are collected.

[mustknow]

... I'm sorry, who's being volunteered for what?

[consider8]

You were all but recruiting me to try one of these trials.

Was that not your intention?

[mustknow]

... You vastly overestimate your place in my 'intentions'. But fear not, assuming I did have some nefarious plan to throw you at your own deepest horrors for ... whatever purpose, I could never succeed! Those trials had been left behind with the world they were on.

[That sounded suspiciously like a chuckle.]

Curses, foiled again. You escape this time, stranger.

[consider8]

...you're just going to have to try harder next time.

[She's only half joking.]

[mustknow]

I will be certain to practice an ominous laugh if it's required.

[consider8]

In my experiences, it is not. But screaming, a persistent accusatory tone, and a sense of unfounded superiority certainly is.

[mustknow]

What sort of screaming? Are we speaking rage, or fear, or just... high volume?

It might take a while to find something to accuse you of though, and then I will be prepared the next time we're dropped on a world and told to complete some random tests with annoyingly vague instructions and success parameters.

[consider8]

A bit of all three.

You're finding this fun, aren't you.

[mustknow]

Sometimes if you don't find ways to laugh at a situation you spiral into terrible depression, and I've had enough of that. So I might as well have fun with it, instead of getting indignant or insulted or .... actually try to devise some illusion test for you to take.

[consider8]

[That was a more serious answer than what she was expecting.]

Well, whatever it is, please keep others out of it. I think we have enough on our plates that we don't want to have to worry about one person testing other people's boundaries. Especially when the only reason is to satisfy your curiosity.

[mustknow]

Oh, if I were to try any such thing it wouldn't be merely to satisfy curiosity! Not that fellow passengers are ideal, it would be rather inconvenient to cause undue trouble with someone you might rely on later to save your life. Besides which, it'd be time better spent trying to work on resistances to illusions, not just heightening weaknesses.

[consider8]

Saying it that way makes it seem like you understand the reason but not the principle.

[Which... may be an important realization? She'll have to think on that...]

[mustknow]

I find the end result tends to be more important. But since you seem very concerned about it, don't worry. I'm not going to spring sudden tests on you, or anyone else for that matter, for myriad reasons. I never have, and I don't really intend to start.

Though I do now feel obligated to at least put on a show the next time opportunity arises.

[consider8]

Do you really?

[Having dealt with Inklings though, she kinda knows the answer; he's just as bad as them when they get an idea in their head... Which is mercifully rare.]

[mustknow]

And you've helpfully provided me a list of expectations to live up to, thank you for your contributions!