Day 61, Late Evening: Public Channel

[anti_nonsense]

This is Rita, here with Syrlya. We've got some things to report about a recent rescue mission, so listen up.

Starting with the [there's a pause and an awkward intonation when she says] good news... We got Strange back, but he's dead. [Said news is delivered perhaps a bit too flippantly.] He had a revival spell, which has been activated. He'll be back to annoying the hell out of all of us before long, I'm pretty sure.

We… also gathered some information from Ignatius. [He’s not going to say how.] It isn’t much, but apparently the Summer Court had actually been following the Winter Court’s trail of us into the Athenaeum. They have had a spy of theirs following the carnival for a few years now. We also know that the Summer Court has determined the Ringmaster as an enemy for the same reason as the Winter Court--the death of the Winter Queen.

[... That’s the good news! There’s no extra, unknown charges added to the Ringmaster’s criminal record! Just the known ones.]

After the questioning, the Ringmaster came and ate Ignatius. [Again, Rita’s tone sounds almost too casual. She’s too tired to worry about breaking any of this news gently right now.] He isn’t dead, though. He's... well, don't ask me. We'll have to wait until the Ringmaster feels like talking about it.

Lambert is… currently recovering, so until he is in a state to return to his duties I will be acting in his stead. If you have anything you wish to reach the Nightrider or Nightrunners for, you may speak to me.

Comments

[lordofthering]

Oh, don't be shy. You can certainly explain what you did to put me in this situation, can't you?

[WHY DON'T YOU SHARE WITH THE CLASS, KIDS?]

[anti_nonsense]

...

[There's silence from Rita's end of the radio, then the sound of a reluctant sigh.]

We restrained him, impaled him, and used mind control to make him talk.

[lordofthering]

I'm surprised you weren't proud enough of yourself to advertise that part from the beginning. I thought you were justified?

Nevermind the inconvenience it causes me and the danger it has put the rest of the carnival in.

[anti_nonsense]

Oh, I'm sorry. Were those tactics off-limits? Is mind control crossing a line?

Maybe someone should've told our enemies that.

[scientificist]

Rita. [He sounds....disappointed?]

[anti_nonsense]

What!? You got a problem!?

[lordofthering]

Well, if you want to fight the same way fae do, maybe you should consider starting to build up an army of slaves? That seems to be a pretty popular tactic. Or perhaps you can start small and try taking over some towns and cities before eventually moving it up to a global scale?

[anti_nonsense]

I don't want to be like them. [It's here that her voice wavers, and it's clear that she's actually really disturbed at the idea.]

I'm just sick of our people always being the victims, unable to do anything but run away and lick our wounds every time this happens!

[chronosynthesis]

[For the most part, Syrlya isn't rebuffing any accusations of torture or poor decision making. Whatever degree it's fair, it won't turn around what already happened.]

The Winter Court has been tailing you for years. The carnival has always been in danger.

[But he thinks it's a little late to worry about how much trouble they're in with the Fae. They already found their excuse with the miracles, after all.]

[lordofthering]

Don't try to tell me about my own life, Syrlya.

[The words are snarled.]

And don't presume to know what will or won't make a difference to our fates.

[fourthscribe]

You tortured him.

[anti_nonsense]

Call it what you want.

[fourthscribe]

And what would you call it, then?

[atouts]

[ Overall, he doesn't actually care about one of the High Fae being tormented, but— ]

Rita... How much of that plan was from Lambert?

[chronosynthesis]

[Syrlya doesn't necessarily want to throw Lambert under the bridge, but...]

Most of it was the result of fighting. Zangetsu called upon... some sort of ocean, but we had to retrieve Strange by force and could not allow Igantius to simply take him and flee.

[Then his tone drops a little more hallow.] Lambert wanted information out of him, and... I carried it through the only way I had.

[atouts]

So all of it. [ As Lambert's the Nightrider, the blame inevitably falls to him. Childermass manages to sound fairly neutral for now, same as always, albeit a little strained. ] He had you all stay behind like fools...

[hippocarnival]

Rita... [He sounds a little sick at that reveal, but he's not as quick at jumping on her, because...]

Was it after Ignatius pushed Mr. Strange into dying?

[He's still angry about that.]

[anti_nonsense]

It was after he died, yeah.

[hippocarnival]

[Tense, bitterly:] He's not innocent.

[Whether torture and mind control is a line too far crossed doesn't matter immediately in the face of Yuya's overwhelming anger. It isn't fair they have to keep bringing home corpses.]

I want to know everything that happened. [Maybe it doesn't change anything, but he wants to know.]

[flashover]

What?! You... you mind controlled a fae?! Why?!

[anti_nonsense]

For information.

[flashover]

That's... you....! Rita! We're supposed to be better than this! Above all that! If you start messing with their minds, then we're no better than they are!

[scientificist]

[.....maybe the dragon antacid will come in handy someday. As is...]

You have a living fae in you...well. Iiii'd suggest staying hydrated? Be sure to drink water along with sitting in it--I'll bring you something better than lake water.

[he's bringing her basically dragon gatorade]

[lordofthering]

I'm not sure he'll find being drowned again very soothing.

[scientificist]

Then drink it slowly--I don't care about him. Nnnow, don't get me wrong, I'm not intending to kill him. Simply to repair some of the damage he's causing by, I assume, trying to escape. I doubt there's anything he'd find soothing right now, you may as well take care of yourself.