Dear Dad,

  It's been a couple days, but don't worry. we reached this town last night. I was so tired I didn't have it in me to write to you before bed. I figured you'd understand. This place is a lot bigger than the last few places we've been, and there are all kinds of booths and stuff set up for a festival. Everyone here seems really nice, but not, evilly planning something nice, like actually nice.

  They said that the oldest person in town is turning 77, Auntie Ryona? Which is apparently really old for this place and a lucky number, so they're celebrating in style.

  We spent most of today helping around. Officially, it was so we could see if anyone knew anything that might help us get home. I think it might be just taking advantage of the people's really generous hospitality that's yet to show any real strings.

  They gave us a couple of rooms for free, just two, each with only one bed, so not the most comfortable of our stays, but at the least we didn't have to pay for them. And they're just having us help decorate for food and board. With only two rooms, the boys all share, and the girls all share. I got to sleep on the bed with Zanair last night, but tonight, I have to sleep on the floor. I think they're planning on drinking with the rest of the older partiers, and while I don't want to join them, I also don't want to be in the splatter zone if things go wrong, yuck. Willow's been quick to tell me that won't happen, but I don't know for sure, and I'd rather avoid it.

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  The party is something else. It's all really cute. There are lots of flowers everywhere and lots of music even before it all starts. Everyone's so excited, and when I've asked, apparently, Ryona is like everyone's aunt, either helped raise them or taught them or something else. It's interesting to see how everyone's all connected here. Back home, there are family friends, people whose couches you could crash on, but everyone knows everyone here.

  I don't know if the flowers are for Auntie Ryona or for luck, or if it's all they've got to decorate with, but I think it all looks very nice. I think you'd like it, it looks a lot like Uncle Jay's wedding did, although less pop music.

  ~As cool as it is to help with all of this and to get to help with it all, I'd rather~

  I wonder when the others' birthdays are. I hope we get home before any of theirs happen. I hope we get home before mine happens. It's already been too long.

  I decided to go to bed a little early tonight, well, early so I could write you before I went to bed. Earlier than most of the others, I was just hoping that I'd be able to get to sleep a little bit earlier, too. I mean, I like the guys, but they sound like cartoons when they sleep.

  If they didn't do it every night, I'd think they were doing it on purpose.

  I think I'm going to go to bed for real, and I'll see if the guys just let me sleep on the bed if I'm already asleep when they get here.

  Love, Jack