Re: Onward to Nightingale

Dear Mrs. Astor, I hope this letter finds you in good health. I am writing to let you know that my family and I are planning on making our way to Nightingale City using the Transept Portal. Viscountess Mandville says that the city is the only safe haven from the dangerous fog we have been hearing about. We are preparing to leave shortly, after securing provisions for the journey. If you should need anything in these trying times, do not hesitate to ask. Yours, Alva Vanderbilt

Dear Mrs. Alva Vanderbilt, What a delight to hear from you. As luck would have it, we are already on our way to Nightingale City by boat. I am unsurprised to hear of you traipsing round the wilds of the Realms, given your family background. Lord Archibald Primrose has already prepared living quarters for us in the Royal District. Normally, one needs a personal recommendation to live in the area, but I am sure you will have no problems once they learn of your husband’s business. Do not hesitate to write, Mrs. Astor

Dear Mrs. Astor, I am unsurprised to learn that you would prioritize the luxury of the Royal District, whereas I myself would be hesitant to live there. I hear that the technology they use to hold back the fog is located closer to the city center, in order to better protect the crucial trade economy. Then again, I would not expect New York aristocracy to understand the impact of modern innovations in technology. As for my family and I, my husband’s business contacts have put us in touch with Mr. Henry Hyde and Lady McIntosh. They have been most helpful in finding us accommodation in the Commercial District, and have even secured my husband a job at the Northern Transept Trading Company, which he is to start when we arrive. Yours, Alva Vanderbilt

Dear Mrs. Alva Vanderbilt, Such fortunate news that your husband has secured work for your new life. Hopefully, it won’t take too long for you to adjust your lifestyle to a more modest approach. I myself have already sent word to Mrs. Ada Lovelace, as I hear she is a foremost authority on technology in Nightingale City. Perhaps she has knowledge on how to protect our beloved New York. Cordially, Mrs. Astor

Mrs. Astor, I appreciate your concern for me adjusting to Nightingale life. However, I fear your concerns are unfounded. I hear that they are rather progressive, and do not worry about societal rules in the same way as New York. Birthright is of little matter, and only the talents of one’s hands and mind prove the worth of a person. I hear they even let women into gentlemen’s clubs, such as the Diogenes, should one prove oneself a worthy Realmwalker. Perhaps it is good that I have warned you, otherwise the shock could have affected your health. Yours, Alva Vanderbilt

Dear Mrs. Alva Vanderbilt, How kind of you to worry about my health. Thus, I find it my duty to warn you of the fantastical elements in Nightingale City, so as not to see you lose your countenance. These are true and not rumors, as Lady Primrose herself has seen these with her own two eyes: There are many statues of Fae origin, which glow blue and purple without a light source and whose beauty cannot be matched by any artist, modern or deceased. They have clothes dyed with shapeshifting colors using flowers unknown to Earth. Their beds are lined with the softest pelts, which magickally heat themselves. There are foods with flavors unlike anything ever tasted. Though, I am unsure of how many of these marvels find their way into the common man’s house, as these might only be available to those in the Royal District. Cordially, Mrs. Astor

Mrs. Astor, I fear this is the last you will be hearing from me. Our Realmwalker guide is here, and we are ready to traverse into the unknown, where it will be less easy for mail to arrive. However, he assures me that it is the best way to Nightingale City, given the state of things. I wish you the best on your journey. Perhaps we can find time to meet once we are both in the city. I think you will find our quarters in the commercial district most agreeable, as Mr. Henry Hyde has graciously agreed to furnish our living space with many Realmic luxuries. The Company values my husband highly, as they do with any man or woman with tangible skills. Yours, Alva Vanderbilt