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 doesn't want to put anyone in danger either, and so reminding him of the possibility slows him down. It doesn't quite stop him, however.]

Yeah... but... if they are...

[The impression he's getting is that even if they ARE slaves, nobody wants to risk trying to help them. The only thing them not being slaves would do is make him feel better.]

[chronosynthesis]

If they are, we can review our course of action then. [Leaving a bunch of people to be enslaved doesn't sit well with him, either, but he no longer has the freedom to act on his own will since joining the carnival. He has obligations.]

Try not to dwell on it too much until we reach the castle, all right?

[starseedling]

...

[He doesn't know if 'dwelling on it' is a strong enough term. Still, he's already wearing himself out from arguing.]

I can try...

[chronosynthesis]

[He's simmered down but not placated, as far as Syrlya can tell. Still, as long as he's not going to work himself up to panic before they even reach the castle, that's a success.]

How comfortable are you with, ah... human noble etiquette? [That's really the more pressing concern for all of them, and a less dooming topic than "all the servants are forced labor".]

[starseedling]

I can dance... but I've never done any of that other stuff. I wore a tuxedo with my dad, once, but we just ended up eating a ton of pizzas and falling asleep, so I don't think that was very 'noble.'

[He grew up living in a van and that says a lot.]

[chronosynthesis]

[That's still more stable structure than Syrlya's lived under. His home is a tree.]

That puts you and I in the same position. I can dance, but most of their social rules are an enigma.

Perhaps we should attend this practice dinner before we leave? Leaving a good impression from the start can only help us.

[starseedling]

I dunno... I'm not really hungry right now.

[Also he feels like he made a big ass of himself on the network and doesn't want to be seen by people.]

[chronosynthesis]

I suppose you don't have to eat... [Just as long as he gets the manners down.] Or I can relay anything important to you when it's finished. That way you can rest before we leave.