Train to Nowhere
A stream of smoke escapes from Yingyue's lips, the odor mingling with the scent of rich chocolate and jasmine that permeates her cabin. Her eyes scan over a city plan of Oxford that has been thoroughly marked up by her own hand. As good as it was to do some preplanning, she'd still need to examine the city for herself and check if there were any traces of the other participants around. It wouldn't hurt to find a decent tearoom either...
Oh well, she had plenty of time to see to all of that and more, so there wasn't any reason to worry herself sick. Being 'invited' to this gathering really was a bother. The mess that was soon to unfold aside, she wasn't thrilled to come so far within the Clock Tower's reach. The breakup had been messy and it seemed that they weren't content with staying friends. However, it did make certain opportunities available. More importantly, every girl has a dream and she was no exception.
Knock Knock
"Just a minute, dear."
She gently sets her pipe down to begin tidying up the room. Aside from a few other maps, several wax-sealed letters and a photograph lie on the table. The letters quickly find their way into a compartment within her suitcase, but her eyes linger on the photo for a while. It isn't anything special at a glance — just a picture of two people, a man and a woman. Both are relatively young yet with such dour expressions. It made one question why such seemingly serious people would make time for something so frivolous. Yingyue had certainly pondered the question many times over but was never satisfied with the conclusion she reached. Silently shaking her head, she slips the photo into a pocket one her dress. With a few other things squirreled away and her hair neatened up, she finally comes to the door with a faint glow emitting from her eyes.
Opening it reveals one of the attendants uncomfortably fidgeting on the other side. He's an older man further aged by stress with a thick mustache concealing his upper lip. A bottle of wine in hand. Before anything else, Yingyue takes the bottle and does a quick inspection.
"Yes, this one should do nicely~! It's just a shame that I can't have a glass now. Oh, and what of my other request?"
The attendant fidgets more as he clears his throat. He in a hushed and severe tone.
"Everything has been arranged to your specifications and placed with the rest of your luggage. Now, I'll remind you that I had nothing to do with this if there are complications."
She titters as she pulls out a roll of several dozen notes and slips it into his hand, closing his fist around it with a smile.
"I expected as much. Since we're on the subject, I expect we'll be pulling into the station soon?"
"That's right. Just under an hour now until we arrive."
"Excellent. Your help has been invaluable."
Another stream of smoke seems to escape from her, curling into a stage as it envelops the attendant. He becomes cross and begins to say something between coughing when he suddenly falls silent. He holds his forehead and sways slightly as his eyes become unfocused. Even if their few interactions had been under the effects of her eyes, one could never be too sure. So, she pulls him into the room and closes the door. Several minutes later he's pushed still dazed. When he finally regains his composure, he looks around confused and unable to remember why he'd been there in the first place.