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

[starseedling]

[Steven sounds like he's hesitant to ask, but after listening to a lot of the discussion, he finally peeks into the conversation.]

But... what about the servants working there? They're not... okay. Are they?

[It's hard to imagine a situation where a fae like this could have workers that were actually happy. The Ringmaster seems like a rare exception in that, and she doesn't like him at all.]

[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...!

[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.]

[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...]

[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.

[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!

[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.

[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...!

[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]

[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.]

[chronosynthesis]

They--[Hm. That sets off a boil in his veins that the Prince might be more dangerous than simple retaliation. If there's people already in danger, what position does that put the carnival in? She's negotiating, apparently, for their own protection but--

He realizes after a moment he's left the radio dead silent and hurries to respond properly.] So you think they're enslaved?

[starseedling]

Yeah...

[His voice is small but he tries to explain regardless.]

Or... at least... they could be.

[anti_nonsense]

I know what you're getting at, but this really isn't the time to be worrying about other people.

[Says the person who went on a suicide mission against a true fae for pretty much this reason.]

[starseedling]

[Rita knows what he's talking about better than anybody, and for some reason her denial of his concerned makes him angry. His voice rises into a yell:]

It's ALWAYS the time to be worrying about other people!

[anti_nonsense]

[Right, well... she probably should've known that wouldn't work with him.]

Fine, then. Worry about them if you want.

But the first step to any kind of problem-solving is gathering information. Without information, any action you take might only make the situation worse, for us and for them.

[kingsroads]

From what I've heard the Ringmaster say, it seems this fae has an admiration for all things human. It wouldn't surprise me if he treated his servants more like a human would treat theirs instead of the way a fae would.

[ which...might still make those poor servants fucked over, BUT LET'S NOT TELL STEVEN THAT, HE IS TRYING TO BE REASSURING. ]

[starseedling]

I... I guess...

[Steven already has multiple people on the radio talking him down, and in this state of panic that's beginning to feel overwhelming. Everyone thinks he's wrong, so what if he is? What if he's just being stupid and making a scene for no reason?]

I hope so...

[kingsroads]

I hope so as well. After all, we haven't even met the fellow--we barely know what he's like in the first place! All we have to go on is the Ringmaster's opinion and the rules we've been given. Things could be fine.

[ or the fourth wall event might happen and everything will suck. But optimism! Trying not to get Steven to freak out! Strange has hopefully got this! ]

[soft_focus]

[Oh-it's this one again. She recognizes the voice! ....Sounds a lot more worried than before, but that's hardly the case. Are the servants okay? Are they not? Well.]

...um....

...I can't do anything until we're there, but... ....when we get there, if you want, I can find out how they feel...

...I would just have to be near them to know. ...Even if they were faking something, I'd feel what they're actually feeling. ...And if it hurt, I could tell you then.

....I don't think anyone would be able to do something right away, but....

[But as much as it's life or death, she's not sure she could stand idle if being around the crowd did hurt her in the end. Because that would mean they hurt too.]

[starseedling]

[Steven is honestly pretty tuckered from all of this, and is going to have a cry in Joker's trailer, but this offer does contain something pretty notable.]

You mean... you can feel people's emotions too?

[soft_focus]

....Too?

[WAIT WAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT] Um!!!

Y-Yeah! It doesn't work over the radio but... ...when people get angry, or sad, or hate something a lot... ...it hurts, sometimes more than anything that's ever hurt before. ....Other feelings don't hurt, and...it's hard to know what some feelings are, if I've never felt one before but...

...That's just how it is I think. ...If I'm near someone, or something, then I just know.

....does too mean you can though.. [That was. More for herself, but it was still at least somewhat audible on the radio.]

[periphrasing]

[She's just going to quietly wait all this out. Too many clashing opinions, too many big personalities going head to head. But after a little while:]

Um... Steven. Are you... Alright?

[starseedling]

[it take a little while, but:]

Yeah... Sorry...

Can I come to your trailer?

[periphrasing]

Oh please. Of course you can, you're always welcome at Peri's Place!