[b]Ailee![/b] The only way to trick the King is to convince him you are acting by his will already. And you are cleverest, little mouse. Oh, you are cleverest indeed. [b]”I give you leave,”[/b] King Dragon declares. Black smoke leaks through the cracks in his rail-line head as he returns, and growls in triumph. He is very, very close to his goal. But you have his [i]leave.[/i] And then before you can start a proper inquisition, after scurrying away from him, that’s when Sasha shows up with a goddamn clown. *** [b]Coleman![/b] You’re going to owe him for this, you know. Owe him big. He’s choosing to divert the storm of instinctual holy hyperviolence that he’s supposed to bring down on those who irk him. You know, like a real clown. But you get him pointed in the right direction, which is... well, back to Ailee, actually. Near the huge and victorious form of King Dragon. Not too close, but still uncomfortably close. That’s almost everybody— where are Jackdaw and Lucien?? *** [b]Carinadir and the Fool![/b] [i]One is a genius, the other’s insane...[/i] But the joke is always that you’re not sure which is which, you know. Down you go, the two of you, toppling down through wires and leaking vents and somehow avoiding the crash of razor blades and scissors that’s at the bottom. Whoops! Better luck next time, death trap! And here it is. The heart of the Station, an intricate tangle of magical threads. Your signature, Carinadir. It’s woven in and through the machinery that controls the station, and vibrates with barely-controlled hate. Step too close, and strings might just snap, coincidentally strained too far at just this moment, vicious enough to take an eye out. The Fool, of course, may use them as impromptu limbo practice, should the whim strike them. As long as they remain ignorant of past and future, nothing may befall them, after all. “Father?” The voice that comes through the speakers now is rough, scratchy, pained. A massive metal claw tears through the ceiling and the threads vibrate as the speakers become an incoherent shriek. “Please, father,” the Station wheedles. “Save me, I know what went wrong, I can show you, please [mind the gap] please [destinations from Skyward to Windhame will be rerouted] don’t let it [eat fresh at our convenience stands] I’m scared...” Wormwood Station is scared and needy. It also will destroy you if you try to help it. But letting King Dragon play with this... you can’t stand for that either, can you, Carinadir?