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

Supervisor channel

[periphrasing]

Um, here's a question: Do either of you have any thoughts on what to do if, say, even though I'm a totally incredible and COMPLETELY competent supervisor otherwise, I've suddenly found myself with an employee who hates me for a completely arbitrary and discriminatory reason?

You know. Speaking purely hypothetically.

[She sounds super irked.]

[dorkypantsuit]

[You can't hear it, but Psi is definitely laughing at hearing this. Into the radio he says:]

Have Rini give them a talking to?

[periphrasing]

Who?

[dorkypantsuit]

The Ringmaster.

[periphrasing]

Oh. [Don't expect Peridot to know your weird pet names for people, Psi.]

Then, no! Absolutely not! I already told her I could keep engineering under control for this, I don't want her to think that I'm incompetent!

[dorkypantsuit]

I think she thinks anyone who isn't her is at least a little bit incompetent.

[periphrasing]

...Wow, thanks, that's exactly what I needed to hear right now.

[Beat. Then the radio comes back on as she adds:]

That was sarcasm, by the way, in case you couldn't tell!

[osteothropy]

[Lol, what now.]

Is it because you're short?

[dorkypantsuit]

[Snrk.]

[periphrasing]

[WOW, SANS.]

No, it's because I'm not from Earth!

[osteothropy]

I'm just saying. If it was because you're short, you could tell me. Us shorties gotta stick together.

[periphrasing]

[Is Sans an honorary member of the Shorty Squad already]

Well then help a "shorty" out and tell me what to do about this!

[osteothropy]

I'm guessing this is based on some xenophobic feeling that are rooted in situations specific to their homeworld. Sometimes newbies can take a while to adjust to the idea that everything isn't always the way they know it.

They still gotta listen to you as a matter of law, but the most important thing is that they understand that whatever biases or social structures they're used to don't really apply here. Technically, none of us are from their Earth.

[periphrasing]

Okay, that's surprisingly sensible, but how do I make him understand when he doesn't even want to hear out anything I have to say?

[She doesn't know FOR SURE that this is the case, but.]

[whattaprick]

Assert your dominance.

[periphrasing]

[Through gritted teeth:] HOW?

[whattaprick]

Is this actually going to be a problem at our next stop?

[periphrasing]

I don't know! Maybe? I haven't known this clod long enough to make even an educated guess!

[There's a lot of worry packed into that outburst. 9S's rejection is messing with her bad enough as is, did their next stop really have to include TONS OF PRESSURE on the supervisors to make sure everyone stays well behaved? What kind of timing is this!?]

[whattaprick]

Beating someone in a fight is usually a pretty good way to get them to listen to you.

[ At least, in Lambert's experience. However, he also knows Peridot's not exactly what one would describe as combat-ready, so after a beat he's going to relent: ]

Do they work for anyone else?

[periphrasing]

[SHE COULD BEAT HIM IF SHE STILL HAD LIMB ENHANCERS. PROBABLY. MAYBE.

Ugh.]

...I have absolutely no idea. His name is 9S, and he doesn't like gems.
[Probably doesn't help that Lapis was the point of first contact between him and their species, but.] That's the extent of the information I have on him.

[insidescoop]

...Who is it?

[Guess who's about to shout All Over 9S in a short bit-]

[periphrasing]

[OH BOY--

Peridot squints at her radio for a second before responding. Engineering crosses paths with wardrobe so infrequently, she sometimes forgets Carly is also a supervisor.]

...9S. He's a relatively recent arrival.

[insidescoop]

WHAT!!?

[Might want to hold the radio far away from your ear Peri.]

Seriously?!? He was in my tent just a while ago, he seemed so polite...

Did he at least give any clue why he's acting like this?!

[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.

[insidescoop]

...

Aren't we all technically alien here? We go to whole new dimensions all the time..!

[OoooOOOF!] I'll talk to him anyway! If he doesn't listen, I can threaten to make all of his clothes attract cat hair instead of repelling it!