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]

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...]

[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.]

[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]

[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.

[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]

[Sounds like the sort of problem he's experience with members of the gem empire. He doesn't stop Steven in his tracks, but it does make him look more confused.]

How could we know?

[pipers_son]

And that's the problem, I suppose.

[With Steven... not calmer, exactly, but maybe more manageable, Joker tries to herd him over to take a seat on one of the plush chairs. Built for the more severe changes that supervisors often experience, at least there's plenty of room.]

Y'know, this reminds me of... a guy I knew, back in England. He didn't want ta leave his job, either, although everyone could see that the lord he was servin' was a cruel one.

[starseedling]

[Steven will go sit - he feels on the verge of falling over, anyway, stress like hot air inside of him, making him feel light headed.]

Why didn't he want to?

[pipers_son]

[Thatta boy. Joker makes sure he won't pitch forward or anything before settling down himself not too far off. Wings as big as his require certain sitting.]

A couple of reasons. He needed the money, like most folks do... And, frankly, he thought he just couldn't leave.

The rest of my family knew him too... Drove my sister absolutely mad that he wouldn't listen when she said he should just pack up and go. [Joker snorts.] He really was a stubborn git... But, I guess from his view, no one really understood, yeah? He figured everyone else was just full of it, able ta say things like that when they had no idea what he went through. So he doubled down on stayin'.

[Heaving out a breath, he shakes his head slightly, a motion that has his half a dozen earrings clinking together.]

It took somethin'... pretty bad for him ta realize he had ta leave. But he did decide ta do it, in the end.

[Looking over at Steven again, he ruffles the hair between his roses a bit.]

That's the important thing, I think. If we go in there tryin' ta shake things up, if those folks don't want ta leave, then we'd just be makin' things worse for no reason. They'd hate us, then. We'd be those gits who thought we knew better than them. In the end, it has a be them who decide ta do somethin'.

So even if it doesn't seem like much... The best thing ya can do at all is just be good, alright? So if they are in a bad situation and they want ta go, they'll think "oh, that lad Steven was good ta me" and make that choice ta come over themselves. Ya can't force it.

And that's an "if", mind ya. [As he goes to remove his hand, Joker lightly taps one of Steven's horns.] We don't know much yet besides this fellow is a fan of old fashioned things, and the Ringmaster doesn't like him. For all we know, he's mostly good ta his own and just thinks other folks like her are tirin'.

[starseedling]

[Well, the Ringmaster CAN be pretty tiring, even for Steven, and that's saying something. Steven absorbs the story without ever realizing how personal of a tale it actually is. It sounds awfully familiar, though. His voice is quiet but somehow hard beyond his years.]

It's just like how it is with all the gems. None of them want to leave, even if the other gems are hurting them... not until they don't have anything left.

[Jasper had said the same to him. Something about how Rose Quartz went after people who were already worthless... because when you were on the bottom, you'd take anything to feel like you weren't a failure. It's not entirely the same principle as freeing these slaves could be, but it sounds similar to Joker's story.

They were all too afraid to leave until they had no other choice.]

I'm just... so tired of waiting...

[The tears well up again. It feels like he's been trying forever, and yet nothing he can do can help these people, until they want it themselves. It's the worst feeling in the world.]

[pipers_son]

....Yeah. Yeah, I know. [Adjusting his wings so that no one gets beaned in the head, Joker tugs Steven closer until he's resting against his side.] Makes ya feel helpless, right? Or like yer ignorin' someone in trouble.

[starseedling]

[Steven will happily accept physical comfort at the moment. It's what he always craves whenever he's really upset, and in the absence of certain company he'll take it where he can get it. He nuzzles his face against Joker's shoulder, his eyes shut tight.]

Yeah...

[The rush of stress has left him feeling tired and a bit sick. He doesn't really know what else to say about it, and it doesn't sound like he's focusing very well, either.]

[pipers_son]

[Poor kid. He looks exhausted. Joker pats his shoulder a little bit, just to help reassure him.]

Well... By bein' plain ol' nice, we're doin' somethin'. Just slow goin'. Okay?

[starseedling]

[He nods his head a few times, trying to make its clear that he's listening. Still, his fear and sadness are reluctant to go away immediately. He lets out a quiet sob.]

I wish my dad was here.

[pipers_son]

Oh, lad...

[He curls around Steven slightly, wings shifting until they're a makeshift cocoon around the two of them.]

I know, I know. Just... remember that he's back home, waitin' for ya, and you'll be back with him soon enough. But until then... Did ya know that I talked ta him, when he first joined?

[starseedling]

[Steven opens his eyes, peering up at Joker, obviously interested in whatever could come of this. He's interested in hearing about this dad - if he's not there, then talking about him makes him feel closer.]

No... what did you say?

[pipers_son]

I told him that if anythin' happened, either ta him or ta you... Then he could always call me whenever he needed and I'd be right there.

[A light squeeze.]

And it still holds for yerself. Alright?