[Day 60, Afternoon]

[whattaprick]

[ By the time the radio turns on it’s about an hour after Lambert’s group has returned and reported their findings to the Ringmaster. Now it’s just a matter of letting everyone else know. It’s Syrlya who speaks first. ]

As most of you are aware, the Summer and Winter Courts have pursued the carnival into the Athenaeum and taken some of our people hostage.

[ “Hostage" is a nice way to say permanent enslavement.] According to the Scribe and Curator, the lifelike and antagonistic nature of the books found here is the library’s defense against intruders, and it is under our control.

And has been under our control this entire time. [Tyki’s voice chimes in, at this point. To which he’s not bitter at all about it. This entire mess could’ve possibly been avoided.] Our will has been controlling the stories to a certain victory each time we have been swallowed up by one. It should be comforting to know that they cannot use the stories against us. They have not been given these defenses.

If we cast the Fae into our own narrative, the magic should be strong enough to combat them. We will be bound to the same story, so we cannot allow them to turn its favor or-- [And this he sounds less certain about.] --break the confines of the story ourselves.

It should be noted as well that the story cannot be entirely unbelievable. To play the part, it must seem plausible. One cannot just snap their fingers and a fae is weakened, for example. Something like that will allow them to break the story. The narrative must be consistent and convincing.

[ The Nightrider finally speaks. There’s an edge of tension to his voice, but otherwise, he’s pretty composed. ]

The good news is, this means you don't have to be a fighter to help. Bad news is, we still have to figure out how we're going to do it, who's going or staying, and if we're dealing with the Courts together or one at at time. We need to come up with something fast -- I don’t want them to give time to figure out their own plans. Catching them by surprise is the best chance we’ve got, so working together in groups makes the most sense.

If you have any useful ideas, now’s the time to share them.

[ And 9S chimes in: ] If anyone wants to hear the exact exchange we had with the Scribe and Curator, I can provide a recording for your viewing.

I said useful ideas.

[ ooc: this is mainly an ic planning post! ooc plotting post to follow to organize things more formally, but feel free to threadjack each other, form up groups of your own, all that good stuff to work out where your character will be. ]

Comments

[pipers_son]

[HI... TYKI.... WELL HE GUESSES HE SHOULD HAVE EXPECTED THIS]

Give helpful tips ta Susan, ya mean?

[You know, the brother of the kid who didn't read the room or listen to any of them, and who is ignoring another supervisor telling him to chill out?]

[prazerbutterfly]

That and other things.

[He's every bit against Susan going because he's a liability. What good is having him if his brother wouldn't listen in the first place. But then asking Susan to stay back is just like asking Doll to do so when Joker runs out. Frankly, he doesn't care.] I'm not saying you can't go. I'm merely saying you shouldn't go.

[pipers_son]

[He really is a liability, honestly, and Joker is against him going too.... But he'll let the other supervisors handle that for now. Instead, he has something else to handle, and he lets out a sigh.]

I'd like ta hear the reason why, since this is somethin' I'm quite good at.

[prazerbutterfly]

[That's a loaded question and he knows it. Joker knows he's honest with him. Too honest.]

It would be terribly inconvenient if something were to happen to you. People need their Stage Manager to be in one piece. [And because he doesn't want to watch him get hurt if he messes up. There's way too many fae here right now. Joker was human. Even with his tricks, he was human.]

[pipers_son]

I know... but we'll be in worse straits if we allow things ta keep goin' on. I'm not confident in combat- [Says the guy who threw a knife straight through a rose monster's face.] -but I know my stories.

This is the one time I might actually be in the best position for myself. I mean, if not for certain circumstances- [Lauren being Lauren and Steven being Steven] -I probably could have kept her distracted long enough for Feathers and that hole.

And that's before we learned all this.

[prazerbutterfly]

You do know good stories. [He's probably heard a few given how much he parades himself around that tent like a good Stage Manager. Ah, Doll isn't going to like this at all.]

You won't hesitate then? You won't trade your life for his? Can you honestly say you wouldn't? You'll do what needs to be done in order to get everyone home?

[pipers_son]

[She's definitely not going to like this, but Joker is starting to resign himself to a lot of that happening, and not just about things that have happened recently.]

[He still would like it if people could stop calling him out over the radio, however.]

I can honestly say it.

....Besides, I'm pretty sure I'm goin' ta be with a pair of boys who wouldn't let me and who I'll have ta watch over myself.

[prazerbutterfly]

[It's a two way street when one is being called out over the radio. It's not as if Joker is easy to find when he when wants to avoid people. Then again, he wasn't that hard to find if one knew where to look.

Not that he's really scolding. He just wants a straight answer.]

...right, right. Do what you must then.

[pipers_son]

Don't worry, I'll come back. I don't plan on losin' ta someone like her with such a sharp personality.

I have things I still need ta do, besides.

[prazerbutterfly]

Otherwise I'm going to steal Feathers and teach them all sorts of bad habits. Plus, I might burn your favorite shirt right outside your trailer. I'll also replace everything in your trailer from the floor to the ceiling and vice versa.

[pipers_son]

Tyki, now yer startin' ta sound like an upset girlfriend than a son....