Glass Bead wore an eyepatch, like some dashing pirate plucked straight from the tales sailors whisper over their drinks. A great portion of him was missing, but it only lent him a rugged, sea-worn nobility, as if the ocean itself had carved him into some rare and irreplaceable ocean treasure. The way sunlight pierced through his body and fractured across the boardwalk left me completely spellbound– it scattered like sapphires across the wood, dazzling me. His assigned animal was a jerboa, a small mammal not unlike a mouse, yet his voice rumbled with a deep, velvety growl that made my chest burn. I would have happily stood there listening forever, pretending the tide never turned. [Red, hand-written revision note crosses out this paragraph and insinuates that it is inappropriate for scientific publication]

I insisted he join me for dinner. At first he protested, but once I explained my reasons for being here, he agreed. I asked if he knew anything of the Lawless Kings. Apparently, he once came face-to-face with the Lawless King of Dread Tides. Only once, but he swears by it. I’ll be sure to look into this further.
That evening we dined at a hotpot restaurant where each of us chose broths shaped into lotus blossoms and seashells. We placed them into the pots and watched them melt into bubbling stocks while introducing ourselves properly and discussing the business at hand.
Tech finally arrived in a deep maroon vintage dress, while I hadn’t thought to wear much of anything. How embarrassing! She introduced herself as an inventor, working with metallic alloys imported from Mt. Fortune in Burning Aisles. Most of her machines are for shipwrights, though her ambitions clearly reach far beyond that. She told me her assigned animal is marine, and that she feels a spiritual connection to seawater.
We eventually turned to my assignment. Tech explained that she had arranged for a guide to meet me at the Silent Neverland station who would escort me through the snow tunnels into the township of Fort Blanket. Knowing I’m cold-blooded, she outfitted me with insulated, heated climbing gear her team had manufactured and wired themselves. I only hope it doesn’t catch fire while I’m trudging through The Night.