144.98750: PUBLIC CHANNEL, D66

[whattaprick]

Well, that was a shitshow.

[ Lambert's voice, on the line, is even pricklier than usual. He's only saying what he's pretty sure everyone's thinking, okay. ]

Who's still here?

[ Someone hasn't been clued in yet on the possibility that radio chatter crosses dimensions. How do magic box talking things even work, man. Sup new vampire buddies. ]

Comments

[insidescoop]

...Present.

[She doesn't sound so perky now, can't imagine why.]

[whattaprick]

[ And obviously, Lambert sounds pissy, but it's not so hard to discern that's directed at the whole situation rather than her specifically. ]

Mostly in one piece?

[insidescoop]

Um...I'm uninjured actually. [Ok that's surprising.]

[whattaprick]

Lemme guess: perks of having a demon?

[ He's not as surprised as he could be, all things considered... Carly, did you know, there are so many demons in this carnival. So many. This is his life now, working with demons. He could probably grade demon performances by now. ]

Nevermind.

Any sign of the nightrider? [ Or any of the supervisors, for that matter. He hadn't seen them when the Ringmaster busted in there, but ... ]

[insidescoop]

That's not what matters right now! [HEY.] I know how to fight, I'm a scout! So I just fought! [Sounds Fake but ok Carly.

She's a bit quiet at the question on the Nightrider though.]

...Missing.

...Some of the others got turned too-Lauren is one, we think...

[We being, her. Susan doesn't believe it.]

[whattaprick]

... What?

[ And that's Lambert's turn for a train-of-thought audibly screeching to a halt. Sure, he could give less of a shit who Lauren is, but the important part is-- ]

What do you mean, turned?

[ You'd think that would be a key point someone would have mentioned at some point. ]

[insidescoop]

I mean turned!

Vampires turn people, and that's what they were doing!

TURNING PEOPLE!

[whattaprick]

[ Ugh, Carly, you don't need to yell! ]

Thought that was just a story.

[ This is rich, coming from the guy who hunts monsters. After a moment, he'll scoff. ]

Guess the rules are different here.

[insidescoop]

What kind of vampires did you hear about that you think it's just a story..?

It's one of the big things vampires do!

[whattaprick]

Vampires can't turn people back home.

They just eat them. [ This is a pretty serious gap in his knowledge. But while they're on the subject ... ]

Being a vampire's kind of a permanent condition, right?

[insidescoop]

If they can't turn people how do they make more vampires?!

And anyway, I don't know...they're still not the same kind of vampires I had in stories at home, so...

[whattaprick]

As far as I know? The same way other animals do. [ As Sans would describe it: "the sex." ]

Silver still works, so that's something.

[insidescoop]

Dead things can't make babies. [So um. Your vamps are weird buddy.] It does, that's right though...Holy things work too, but I haven't seen it in practice!

[whattaprick]

They're not really dead where I'm from, either. [ Look, he didn't make these things, don't look to him for monster logic. ]

So what are we going to do, find a priest to preach at them? [ Come to think of it, that would be an effective repellent for Lambert too. ]

[insidescoop]

Definitely not! [Ooof!] We...

...We need to regroup first off! We don't even know who's all here, and who still needs help!

[whattaprick]

[ Its a pretty practical place to start. One minor problem... ]

I don't know everyone who works here. Do you?

[fortuneglass]

No.

But we start with who we know, and then ask from there!

[whattaprick]

Right. So start with yours.

[ A beat, and then -- ]

Who's in charge of the nightrunners now?

[fortuneglass]

Right! I know Sora isn't here...but Lauren is, and Susan..! I saw Strange earlier...

[Ah-]

Y-You aren't seriously saying we need to just replace our Supervisor already are you!?

[whattaprick]

What? No. [ That just genuinely throws him off; it's the last thing on his mind. ]

I'm asking you if she had a second-in-command. Someone who'd usually take over if she was busy with something else.

[ 'busy' being rather euphemistic in this case... ]

[fortuneglass]

Oh, phew...

[Ah...but...] ...Sh...she didn't...I don't think it would have occurred to her, actually!

[whattaprick]

[ ... given the relatively little he knows of Mari, that actually sounds 100% plausible. ]

Maybe not, but we can't just sit around with our thumbs up our asses, either.

[insidescoop]

Obviously not! That's why we need to be asking around, isn't it? I'm already working on a list of who's here so far...I'm checking the tent to see if we have any employee listings...

[whattaprick]

While you do that, I'm going to see if I can get some silver.

[insidescoop]

Right! Good idea!

[Off they go on their separate ways then-]