FINAL WEEK

[strangerpeople]

FINAL WEEK

[Well. What else can be said? The Little Courtesy is over. You have all survived. You are now going to your final destination-with invitations to boot. And Charlotte will be getting that private audience, as promised.

But it's not over. Everyone knows it. Confrontation is inevitable. The question is what, exactly, will happen when that confrontation happens-or if anyone will in fact be able to go with Charlotte when it happens. But you've gone this far. There's no turning back. There has to be a way.

Nothing has been certain, or simple. Whatever happens will be no different from the horrors of the Little Courtesy. Perhaps the saying might still hold. Will all be well? Will it?

It must. God help everyone if it isn't.

Seven is the Number, but there are nine strangers left in this place.]

Comments

A Barrier, and Importance Thereof

[katzenpfote]

I have learned that there is a barrier surrounding this train. It is doing... something. I am not entirely sure. It seems like it may be preventing some sort of scan... whether that is a good or bad idea, I am not certain.

So I plan to blow it up, since elemental attacks are apparently the way to go with it. I believe I am the only one of us left with elemental attacks... but there are other means of creating elemental damage. And we do have quite a lot of alcohol, so as long as we evacuate all the crew beforehand...

[charmingheroine]

If we die here it may still feed the sun. Three days ago I'd have been all for that plan, but now... I don't want to risk that much. None of you are allowed to die until we figure out a way to keep that loathsome thing from taking what would have been your lifespan.

[She's not joking. Indeed, this may be the most flatly serious some of the others have heard Charlotte's voice.]

[katzenpfote]

Why do you think I have kept that chunk of Hours? I hope to potentially use it to slow down time if there is an incoming attack.

[charmingheroine]

Explain how, please. Or don't, since I truly doubt the Conductor was the only one listening to us. It's your call.

[katzenpfote]

I believe I can manipulate it into slowing down rather than speeding up time. The experiments are incomplete, but I have neither the background in that particular kind of artifact nor any equipment to help me in experimenting properly.

[charmingheroine]

I knew how to do that, before here. I didn't need a brick of solid time, either. I'm worse than useless, I guess, being bitter about that.

[She looks down, away, anywhere but at him.]

As far as you're concerned - is conjured lightning elemental magic?

[katzenpfote]

You're far from useless. And... it is, yes. Why?

[charmingheroine]

[Charlotte looks back up, and... she may have practiced in front of a mirror for an embarrassing amount of time to be able to control it so finely as this, but that glow Caleb's likely seen at least once by now is present only in her eyes.]

I... think I might be partly made of it, now. I'm not sure how else to explain this. If I were summoning or channelling it, I couldn't hold it in place like this, or like I did to free the Unicorn, but I can throw it, too.

[katzenpfote]

... It looks like it's mostly light right now, but all right.

[otherworldlyking]

[ He'll yawn and look mildly inconvenienced.

Caleb had to probably try hard because he was actually in a deep sleep even at noon. Sorry not sorry. ]

If there's a way to hit the barrier without blowing the rest of us up, then yeah sure. Otherwise don't bother.

[katzenpfote]

That's why you exit the train first.

[Duh.]

[otherworldlyking]

[ He'll just yawn kind of loudly... ]

...You're gonna think about trying this after we reach our destination, then?

[katzenpfote]

Yes. It would be stupid to try it when we have no way to land.

[otherworldlyking]

Do whatever you want.