THE WARDEN AND NIGHTRIDER ARE HERE (D170)

[osteothropy]

[Sans is blue.]
[Lambert is dark red.]

[ Supervisor’s Channel ]

All right. [ Lambert’s voice is brisk and business-like, for once, though it still has that familiar edge of sarcasm to it. ]

Okay. [Sans is here, too.]

I’ll get to the point. You know the next stop’s not like our usual. [ To say the least. A beat, before he continues: ] Keep an eye on your people. Make sure they’re actually following the rules, not freaking out and getting us all into shit.

[ That feels like a tall order, though, under the circumstances. ]

That goes for you, too. Keep your head on straight. Any problems or troublemakers you can’t handle on your own, let me or Sans know. This isn’t a performance stop -- if anyone who works for you is assigned to patrol or the nightrunners, they answer to us first.

Speaking of ‘keeping your head on straight’... some of you might remember a certain stop we had a ways back where a few certain someones almost got the guillotine for failing to abide by a similar set up of stuffy royal standards. Let’s not have a repeat of that, cause from the sounds of it the RM might not be able to save you this time.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, this is your opportunity to remain blissfully ignorant.



[ Public Channel ]

[ Lambert’s voice is terse, and irritable: ]

Our next stop’s called Heartstone Manor. We’re going to go over some ground rules to make everyone's life, especially mine, a lot easier.

[Sans is also here.]

The RM has already covered a lot of this in her announcement, but it is officially our jobs to make sure that it sinks in. Dealt with True Fae before? Then you know this isn’t a joke. Yes, your fashion sense and table etiquette are now a matter of life and death. This is me, Sans, telling you to take this seriously. Hopefully that means something to you.

To summarize the gist of what was said, here are some basic RULES. The Nightrider and I will be watching. So, even if the Prince doesn’t catch you, we will.

[Sans recites “The Rules” like he’s just whipped out a pair of reading glasses and is quoting them from an official document:]

DO:

• Follow the daily schedule
• Follow dress code
• Be polite to The Prince and his servants
• Keep your radio on you

DON’T:

• Whine about everything
• Seed rebellion or talk about rules breaking on the network
• Make any deals or promises to other fae servants
• Lay any hard disses on The Prince, ever, under any circumstances
• Don’t sweat the small stuff: this is gunna grate on a lot of us, so just focus on the end goal… which is not dying

Don’t mess it up.

That, too.

Comments

[osteothropy]

A sound rebuttal. Peridot, your thoughts?

[kingsroads]

How much do you know about the concept of 'etiquette'?

[ considering he had to explain to 9S why people get married, it's a PRETTY VALID QUESTION. ]

[periphrasing]

Alright, fine, I will concede that I've never seen her consume any food. But I have seen her shapeshift! She's been shapeshifting on and off since she got here, trying to hide her fae changes! Therefore, she could eat if she wanted to!

[pipers_son]

[Ah. Right. Besides the upfront troublemakers... Joker has to deal with this kind of empathy. He takes a deep breath before answering, using his kindest voice possible.]

We might only know when we get there, I think. But in our case, the best thing we can do is not make any trouble for 'em. Don't give 'em more work than they already have, right?

[starseedling]

But...

[Part of Steven knows that Joker is right, and that acting like there is some altruistic angle they could take that would have good odds of succeeding and not causing more pain is probably childish. But he is a child. And he's still desperate to believe that they're not helpless.]

But how can we just go there and act like nothing's happening to them? Fae are terrible to their servants, they probably don't even want to be there, it isn't fair...!

[periphrasing]

No! What is that even supposed to mean!?

[kingsroads]

Perhaps? If you want to impress someone or show them just how important you are, what better way to do so than to throw a ball.

I don't know for certain, of course, but it's definitely a possibility--hunting might be a possibility as well, but you wouldn't have to worry about that.

[ cause Rita's a woman. Whoo hoo casual sexism! ]

[osteothropy]

Huh. Compelling evidence from both sides...

[Sans doesn't even know what to do with this. At the moment he's basically just stirring the pot for the sake of it.]

[osteothropy]

I figure we should assume 'worst case scenario' and go from there.

[pipers_son]

I know.

[Hell, even the servants of a normal human are treated terribly... but he doesn't say that. Instead-]

Steven, do ya think ya could spare a moment before supper ta come see me?

[This is a conversation he thinks might be better in person.]

[periphrasing]

Evidently? He hates people who are "aliens".

[She's starting to low-key get anxious that this is all getting out of hand. The last thing she wants is for word about her griping to get out to 9S, and have him think that she's some kind of whiny loser.]

It's fine though, Lambert's going to deal with him since he's apparently also on the Nightrunner team as well. Problem solved.

[starseedling]

[At least Joker redirecting the conversation manages to break Steven's train of though - which is a good thing, with the places it was going. Steven goes silent for a moment, only then realizing how shaken he is. His hand is shaking on his radio receiver, and his head feels dizzy.]

Uh-Uhm. Okay. Should... Should I go to your trailer?

[He's still got that teleportation pendant...]

[pipers_son]

Yeah, I think that'd be good. Ya could help me with my buttons- I'm tryin' ta dress nice for a little demonstration I think I've just been roped inta.

[And buttons are a pain in the assed, although doable, when you have one hand.]

[IN PERSON]

[starseedling]

[He nods into the radio, and then realizes that that won't translate, so he breathes out another "okay." A short while later, pendant in hand, he will pop into Joker's trailer.

He actually looks pale, like one does before passing out. He doesn't seem to notice, though.]

I don't think I can do this.

[He sounds just as winded as he looks.]

[whattaprick]

[ Since he absolutely isn't down for busting anyone out of fae jail here, his tone is going to be a bit testy. ]

We don't know, but it's none of our business unless the Ringmaster says it is.

[pipers_son]

[Yeah, he figured it would be like this.]

[Joker, only mostly dressed but presentable, immediately goes to kneel down in front of the young performer. Not for the first time, there's a swell of acid in his chest that the Ringmaster accepts children into the carnival. It's too much, and too cruel. Especially with the latest events.]

[But that won't solve anything, so instead he just says, quiet and firm..]

I'm here. Ya don't have ta do it on yer own. Okay?

[starseedling]

Why not?!

[Steven's voice cracks, and you can only imagine the look of anguish he's probably sporting at the moment.]

We're the only ones that could help them - he could be hurting them, and there's no one else that can do anything!

[periphrasing]

[IGNORING THAT FIRST COMMENT.]

I mean... Neither, really. But there hasn't been a lot to do for our team lately, so I haven't really had the chance to see how he'd respond to orders.

[starseedling]

[Steven rubs his eyes with his palms, trying to conceal the fact that he's already tearing up. He's the only one freaking out about this, and he doesn't understand why.]

But they do. [He tone is pleading.] It's just like when I was the Queen's servant... nobody would help me. Not even the people I trusted.

[whattaprick]

[ Lambert, being Lambert, is more annoyed at the emotionalness than anything else. ]

Or they could be there because they want to be, just like some of us have our reasons for being with the Carnival.

[chronosynthesis]

Why wouldn't they be? [Syrlya can tell the Fae put everyone on edge, and that they were a violent sort... but he hasn't heard anything about their servants. After the Summerlands, he was just assuming everyone there was Fae, much like humans and their servants.]

[starseedling]

[Tough luck champ, this isn't stopping any time soon.]

We don't know that! What if they don't? Other fae aren't like the Ringmaster, it's bad...!

[pipers_son]

[There's a slight pause as Joker struggles with what to tell him before he sighs and reaches over to put his hand on Steven's head with mind to his horns and roses.]

...What if they don't want ta be helped yet?

[starseedling]

[That would be a much less horrifying thing to expect, but Steven's has been blessed with a very bias image of what fae servitude looks like, and it's all he can see at the moment.]

Because fae kidnap people.

[It's more of a whine than an argument at this point.]

[periphrasing]

...Oh. [She says quietly.]

[That example works almost too well. Peridot's kind of mad just thinking about that hypothetical scenario. And she's definitely feeling kind of guilty about not being able to eat the food, in this case.]

So essentially what you're saying is that: I'm doomed.