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]

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!?

[scientificist]

Yes! Of course! Mind control, really?

[anti_nonsense]

I-it's not like I... [Rita hates mind control. She hates defending it, too. But...]

I don't like it. But I'm not going to feel bad about it happening to someone who just did the same thing to my-- [she almost says friend] --one of our people.

[scientificist]

I don't like it being used at all! Why not simply narrate reading his mind for the information--it's not as if the Athenaeum doesn't provide a multitude of other options by its nature--you didn't need to make him say it. It's frankly disconcerting that your group chose that particular option.

[anti_nonsense]

There's nothing simple about manipulating a high fae.

I don't use mind-altering magic, so I don't know if another method would have worked better. Feel free to ask Syrlya about that.

[scientificist]

Generally I'm sure I'd agree but this library is absurdly powerful.

[It's good to hear that, though. Even though he's not going to cover it because he doesn't really want to publicly admit to a fear, or say that he's going to avoid Syrlya when possible now.]

Everyone who already had powers going in had a, startlingly difficult time remembering to use the defenses...

[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!

[prazerbutterfly]

Alright, then what did you feel you accomplished with this?

[anti_nonsense]

We found out how both Courts managed to find us at the library, for one. If we'd known sooner, we wouldn't have been attacked in the first place.

Although I have to wonder how Frost managed to keep tailing us even after he was already found out once.

[prazerbutterfly]

[He's listens, because that's what he's good at, but he's not satisfied.]

That's not exactly what I was asking but it is an answer, I suppose. If information gathering was your motive it was a poor time to do so when rescues were our goal. But then, I don't need to tell you that. I thought you clever enough to know that.

[anti_nonsense]

The rescue was our priority. Anything else came after that.

[prazerbutterfly]

So, in a way, only Zangetsu successfully completed your assigned mission by bringing Strange back to the carnival. The rest of your stayed behind to play. Thank you for clarifying, Miss Mordio.

[anti_nonsense]

We weren't playing.

[prazerbutterfly]

Call it what you will then.

[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.

[chronosynthesis]

No, they have literally been tracking you with one of their people. It is extremely likely either Court will know exactly where we go next, and they will make their move again.

[lordofthering]

I'M AWARE OF THAT NOW, ACTUALLY!

[This is where she would slam a door in his face, were there a door involved.]

[chronosynthesis]

[Syrlya makes the equivocal grimace of a door being slammed in his face.

Good talk.]