[b]Ailee![/b]

“...even that little rat could do it!”

Your ears prick up. You have just heard the last words of some fool. There he is, white-painted, black-clad, eyebrowless, impossible blue hair falling in thick ringlets, standing vigil next to the Test of Strength, which he is attempting to entice a sheepish-looking axolotl to spend a ticket on. Fabulous Prizes! Enticing Delights!

“If even [i]she[/i] could win a prize,” the clown rasps, “then [i]you’ve[/i] got it in the bag. Give it a try.”

The look that the axolotl gives you is shy and quickly flicks away, seeing you in a light that the clown obviously does not, much to his imminent misfortune.

***

[b]Lucien![/b]

“You know,” Professor Pagliacci says, “you could get more than fried pickles here, my boy. Out of everyone here— well, my students are too headstrong and sure they’ll find some mystic knowledge at the bottom of this hellhole, and the Engineer has his duty to tend to, but you don’t have an obligation to fulfill down there. You could stay, you know. Find a new purpose. The clowns actually have a meaning of life down here, one that I am close to grasping. Follow in my footsteps, lad; there’s life here and death waiting further below.”

***

[b]Jackdaw![/b]

Wolf growls something that might be thanks around the stickiness of the candied apple. She’s been slowly putting on some weight, but is still standoffish. If she had an out, she’d probably take it, but going off? On her own? In the Heart? She survived Wormwood Station by being smarter than that, probably.

Still, is it right to bring her along? You’re going into even more dangerous territory. Maybe the moral thing to do would have been to volunteer to take her back up. What if she’s eaten by clowns, Jackdaw? What if she’s tossed full of knives while strapped to a spinny wheel and you’re the last person she ever looks at because you fed her and that means she put her trust in you and instead you’re taking her deeper into danger?

You need to figure out exactly how you’re going to keep Wolf safe, because it is now totally and completely and definitely your responsibility and not something that she can do herself, because if she dies it’s going to be 1000% your fault and your fault alone.

***

[b]Coleman![/b]

Sasha takes in all that’s around her. Tell us a little more about how Sasha senses the world, how she might try to experience the stalls. Tell us as only one of the Engineers of the Vermissian could.