Public Channel | forward dated to S2:D9, Morning

[genice]

Victor Nikiforov, new showman here. I have a question for anyone who has a few minutes to talk!

( There's a smile in his voice; entirely deliberate, and entirely gone once he gets to his question. )

What things do you wish you'd been told about or known from early on once you started working here?

Comments

[kingsroads]

[ there's so many awful answers that Strange could list here but let's try not to terrorize the new guy. ]

The biggest thing most people complain about is the changes. I don't mind mine, but waking up with different ears or a tail can be off-putting to some.

[genice]

( At least not right away, though hey, who knows? Maybe full mental freakouts would be good up front, even when that's not his style. There's a delay before he's transmitting back while he's parsing "changes." )

So when you say changes, it's... physical alterations only? Is there any indicator of when or how they happen, or about as sudden as "waking up with different ears or a tail"... ( he pauses again, because seriously?! ) ...implies?

[kingsroads]

I think there are some mental alterations as well, though I don't know if they're alterations or simple eccentricities. [ which is a nice way of saying 'this carnival sometimes resembles a looney bin more than a carnival' ]

As for when it's going to happen...most of the time it's as sudden as that implies. Sometimes when we're changed for a location, a bit of that change shall stick with us. That's how I received my scales.

[genice]

( Expect the insanity to continue and perhaps intensify. Victor does chuckle wryly over that much; ah, of course. He resists rubbing his forehead to address the growing headache there. )

'When we're changed for a location?'

( He's imagining why one might have scales. He's not entirely sure he wants to linger on that for long, but the point behind him asking anything in the first place is because he would rather be prepared than lingering in ignorance. Especially when he has a means to try and address that. )

[whattaprick]

[ Where to even begin ... ]

I wished I'd known my biggest headache was going to be my coworkers. [ He says bluntly. ]

SHE HEARD THAT

[insidescoop]

[BUT LAAAAAAAAAAMBEEEEEEEEEEEERT]

[genice]

( Lifting his eyebrows on this end, but the lovely thing about audio is he can school his voice without worrying about what expression he's wearing. )

Hahaha, I feel that can be said for many situations... What's the biggest challenge been with your coworkers?

( The man not terribly gifted at cooperation asks because of course he does. )

[whattaprick]

[ SORRY CARLY, IT IS WHAT IT IS. ]

Mostly that they're magnets for trouble.

[ He says, like he's not a magnet for trouble himself. ]

[genice]

Within the carnival or outside of it?

( Not sure if it takes one to know one, but he does wonder. )

[moonfang]

That my ass'd end up fodder in a brewin' fae war.

[genice]

( ... Glorious. Victor rests his head in his hands for a moment before he uses his radio to respond to that one. )

Yes, that'd be nice to know. Would you mind expanding on that?

[moonfang]

WELL. [get ready, Vic, it's a doozy]

A little while ago, we got mixed up in some nonsense in a city called Portland. It's in America on the west coast, apparently. Anyway. Fer some reason, some magical wires got crossed, and all of us ended up overlaid on top of people who lived there... all mixed up with them. We managed to seriously piss off major players from both the Summer and Winter courts while we were there.

[a pause]

... If ya ain't a fighter, don't worry too much. The Ringmaster should be able to protect you.

[genice]

( In listening, he only makes a small sound of acknowledgement on his end before letting the walkie talkie be silent. Part of him finds it somewhat amusing that the trouble all started in some version of the United States, but he brushes that thought aside. Pointless, and it may as well have been anywhere. )

Should being the important word, I'd guess. ( The dry amusement in his voice making that statement leaves in favour of a more even tone. ) Which major players from which court? What is commonly known about either one of these courts?

( He's thinking politics, ideologies, anything they do know about who is... apparently pissed off at the carnival. Not the usual position Victor's used to being in, but a good Heads Up for what's out there and larger than his own particular situation. )

[insidescoop]

Hmmmm!!

I think...the most important thing, is to know all of the benefits!!

For example, so many people never come to get their spare clothes from me!! It's terrible!! What are you going to wear?! Most people come in here with just the clothes on their back, you can't spend a whole year in just that!! Especially not with how laundry is done, you know!!

[genice]

( He's startled into chuckling, though that's off audio. What he ends up sending back over the feed is more along the lines of: )

That was a question I had, actually. Do you mind me asking for your name, and where it is I should be coming to see you about spare clothing? Along with how laundry is handled here, I suppose.

( No laundry machines... probably. )

[fortuneglass]

Carly Nagisa~ Wardrobe manager!

And oh! That's easy. First, you definitely do have to come to the Wardrobe Tent-if you're performing, you might have already passed it...we're just attached to the Big-Top, since all of you have to go through here for stage makeup anyway....

We can provide, other than costumes of course, the 'appropriate amount of spare clothing and necessities'-so bedding, sleepwear, work clothes....it won't be anything special, but it'll be enough!

Now, Laundry... Obviously, we still have to do that for ourselves! This isn't a hotel or anything...but most trailers don't have a washing machine either of course, so you'll need to find the communal machines-I can show you those~! It's sort of a shack, really, but that's expected...

[Cough cough.]

After that it's sort of luck of the draw... ...just find a good time that works for getting it all cleaned, and hopefully the machines won't be in use already...

[espigeon]

I see Carly already told you about the clothes. Good!

Uhhmm, it's good to think about the dangers in the places we visit. They're not really safe or predictable. Staying on Carnival grounds is safer but then you don't get the benefit of the whole interdimensional tourism thing, so you gotta strike a balance.

[genice]

It's always reassuring to know we're not all expected to go threadbare until we can afford otherwise.

( Said with a light laugh, but really, it's one of those grounding details he'd been glad to learn. )

Safer isn't the same as safe, either way. What kind of... ( he hums, cutting himself off while searching for words. How to say what he wants to ask? ) For those places we are, what knowledge do we have of potential dangers or cultural clashes before we arrive?

[espigeon]

I know, right?

Well we've got our scouts for that. When we arrive somewhere they go out for us and test the waters and come back. Obviously they don't always get the full picture but it's a nice solid concept, don't you think?

[atouts]

That people from my own world might show up. You may experience the same at some point, not unlike how you yourself ended up here.

[ From somewhere the carnival wasn't even officially located in. It happens. ]

Hello again, Mr. Nikiforov.

[genice]

Hello, Mr. Childermass. Thank you again for your assistance in the woods.

( At least it'd started him talking with the Ringmaster, which... was not necessarily enlightening in the ways Victor had hoped for, but alas. )

The way you say that makes it seem more like it's people I know that may show up, not simply people from my world. ( He says this slowly, processing through it. Wandering in from a city not even connected. ) Is that an accurate statement?

[atouts]

Of course.

[ Sorry you're stuck here, Victor, but that's the most help he'd been able to offer. ]

And possibly. In my own case, it was someone I specifically knew and there are certainly a few people here who all know one another from their own worlds. [ looking at you, gems. ] So it could very well be that one presence attracts the same. I've no actual proof, however, only observations.

[dressedtothe]

Hey. Welcome on board, Victor. I'm 9S.

As for what I wish I was told about... Hmm. Probably that the humans here should be kept away from drugs.

[genice]

... I hate to ask, but why in particularly should humans be kept away from drugs here?

[dressedtothe]

Because drugs and magic don't mix. Unless you want magical accidents. If so, then go right ahead. I'll just stay away. Far away.