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

[wild_magic]

That would be good... I don't like wearing fancy clothes, they're uncomfortable. My tunic's better.

[A pause as he thinks of something else.]

I probably have to brush my hair too, don't I? This sucks...

[kingsroads]

[ IT REALLY DOES SUCK, so Strange is pretty sympathetic. ]

At least this trip shouldn't last too long. We'll go back to our shaggy-headed ways before we know it.

[wild_magic]

Yeah, that's good.

[He's quiet a minute before continuing a little more hesitantly than usual.]

Are manners where you're from something where... Kids are supposed to be quiet, and stuff? [Because he's assuming that it is, and that's honestly the part that bothers him the most about formal things.]

[kingsroads]

[ Well then. That does explain some things. As someone who also enjoys talking, Strange just picks up on Susan's hesitancy pretty quick. ]

Normally? I'm afraid so. But though Heartstone's manners might be similar to London manners, they aren't the exact same.

More important than your age is the fact that you're a guest. The Prince might not pay any attention to us, but some of the servants might have questions for the Ringmaster's new guests. After all, we come from all sorts of different worlds and have seen all sorts of miraculous things. People would naturally be curious as to what we've done.

And don't worry: some households have servants around your age. The Prince might have a few, and I'm certain you'd rather talk with them than a bunch of stuffy grown-ups anyway.

[wild_magic]

That's... A little better, than just everyone talking over you and stuff. [Which is what he was expecting; even as an adventurer, he was used to people trying to talk to the others in the party instead of him, most of the time, even when he was the one who knew what he was doing. It was actually really frustrating.]

I think adults are more interesting to talk to, though, most of the time. Unless they treat me like a kid.

[kingsroads]

[ uh yeah, about that whole talking over thing.... ]

I'm afraid there might be points where we are talked over. I suspect we would be at the bottom of the social class here. Don't be offended if you're with a supervisor and someone addressed the supervisor but ignores you.

[wild_magic]

It's hard not to, they aren't better than me. [But okay, he knows that's how these things work, but still...]

I'm not going to be with one anyway, I don't have one. I just have to keep track of my brother, so he doesn't do anything wrong. He's no good at manners.

[kingsroads]

[ So that means Susan's either treasury or kitchen... ]

Tell me if you run into any problems, manners-related or otherwise, alright? I'm not a supervisor, but I can help.

[ and if it's worrying info, Strange will pass it on to Lambert or Childermass! ]

[wild_magic]

Okay, I will. I think we'll be okay though, if I have to I can just use magic. [Because there's no way that using spells could ever be the wrong decision.]

[kingsroads]

Just make certain that the magic's relatively restrained. After all, we're guests.

[ says the hypocrite whose magic is also bad at being restrained ]

[wild_magic]

...Does charming people so they don't get mad count as restrained?

[kingsroads]

That depends if you get caught. [ pause ]

Don't get caught, obviously.

[wild_magic]

[Okay, that gets a laugh out of him.]

I know, I won't! I won't even do it unless I have to.

[kingsroads]

And hopefully, you won't have to in the first place. We're guests. A bit of magic is to be expected as this is faerie, but it shouldn't be more than that.

[wild_magic]

...Yeah. I won't try to use magic. But, if I have to, I will.