[Can anything get worse than the attack already is?

The answer is a resounding Yes. (And that's BEFORE everything else, for that matter.)

When Carly comes onto the radio- public radio on that note, for while she would rather not distress everyone further, it's something everyone should probably know- her voice is tense. Low, and flat, and stiff, as it has been in the past when handling something relatively unpleasant...or when causing it, for that matter.

Which is never a good sign.]

...Herbert is dead, [Is what she starts with, not that there is much else to say.] ...I have what's...left of him, [She says, sounding remarkably calm outside the clear hesitation as she chooses her words.

There goes one of their medical staff, for the time being though.]

Oh yeah,

While we're all looking at our radios again, who all's still around these days? I think we picked up some new people at the last place somehow? I mean for sure we nearly lost some people! Like, Iggy-san almost died, haha... Anybody seen how he's been doing lately since he can't check in himself?

There's still something weird going around but it seems pretty tame in comparison, so everybody live it up a little while ya can! Any lovely ladies still hangin' in there are welcome ta come on a festival date with me~

((check in, tag some newbies if they show, free post. Shima will respond to anyone who addresses him.))


[PRIVATE CHANNEL for Childermass, Tyki, Peridot, and Amethyst]
Ah, also, it was a while ago but I had a talk with Strange-san about Ignatius' Heart situation. Well, mostly I told him Ignatius should go make some friends ta find the answer for getting it back ♥. He doesn't know who, if anybody, has ta do with looking after the Heart but if he actually remembers it after everything else, he might come yell at Childermass-san about the moon or something. Sorry about that!

So, anybody got any feelings on this project so far?

Alright, we got any priests here? Tanyuu says we need one.

[There’s a lot more he could say here, like the fact that they’re specifically looking for a Shinto priest, and that they need one so Reira can experience a proper shichi-go-san festival, and that he suggested that maybe it didn’t really matter since it’s all symbolic anyway, and Tanyuu didn’t seem to like that suggestion.

But none of that has occurred to him, so here we are.]

[The radios will glow green as the Ringmaster begins a broadcast.]

Welcome back to the carnival, everyone. Things may look the same as before, but I assure you, there is no stone that has been left unturned or tree that hasn't been uprooted. We'll have no more stalkers from here on out.

There are a few things of relevance that I have to tell you about. Firstly, Ignatius is no longer in the moon. Instead, he's been relocated to a small island in the middle of the lake. He can't leave it, and you aren't allowed to visit it without my permission. If you do, and he wounds you, you can consider it your own fault.

In a related matter, I've decided to invest my magical energies into granting each of you a ressurection egg, as we clearly can't anticipate any peaceful resolutions from this. If you don't know what that means, it's essentially a ritual spell I'll need your help in completing - once it's done, it will bring you back to life if you happen to perish, but only once. Also, you will have to be in the egg long enough to regrow and hatch. This is no small favour on my part, and it won't work unless your soul can make it back to the egg.

Thirdly, after calling in several favours, I think the location of Eden is almost within view. A few allies will be joining us over the next week and giving us more information. Until then, carry on about your business, as there are some new things you'll have to get used to.

We're going to be organizing the Supervisor guided departments differently from now on. I have explained the details to the Supervisors, and they can fill you in on what will be expected of you. There will not be only six categories: Militia, Acquisitions, Engineering, Management, Administration, and Medical.

Supervisors, feel free to sound off with what group you are leading and what it is for.

[Everyone listed will receive this message at the same time on Day 68, on an unknown frequency. They'll be able to hear each other responding, because they'll all magically be on the same channel. The screens glow green.]

Hello Peridot, Amethyst, Tyki, Shima, and, of course, Childermass... In my efforts to set things right, I require some diplomatic help. Or, at least, moral support. It's to do with the whole Ignatius... situation.

I need your presence at the carnival's second moon. I will provide a ride. If you wonder why I chose you, specifically, it's because I feel like I can trust you to maintain a neutral discussion, and to respect my desire to handle Ignatius humanely.

I'll meet you at a portal in the campgrounds in about a half hour. Plus ones will not be admitted. If you don't want to come, let me know immediately.

[ After the Ringmaster's finished kicking everyone out and the tent arrangements are more or less settled... ]

So, I'm up. [ Short and to the point. ] Heard people were yelling at my nightrunners. You wanna yell about it some more, you can come yell at me.

[ That's it, that's the post. ]

[This message goes out sometime in the evening, after Amethyst has made her PSA about Malachite and Team Scribe has reported back in.]

I'm going to get Lapis back. Jasper too.

[Straight to business. Normally she'd start out with an unnecessary introduction but she is super not in the mood right now.]

I don't know exactly when, and I don't really know how to find the fae that took them yet, but I have a way to defeat Malachite, and an idea for getting them both out of there.

[She pauses.]

If anyone wants to help... Great. I could use some help keeping their captor at bay. But I'm going in either way.

[Usually when Peridot speaks up on the network, she's pretty perky and authoritative. NOT THIS TIME. HAHA.]

Ssssso... I don't want to cause a panic or anything, but there's not exactly an easy way for me to break this news to everyone, so I'm just going to come right out and say it:

I may have kind of, sort of... absolutely found proof in the Scribe's collections that the Summer Court is tracking us. And by the Summer Court, I mean specifically the Rose Queen and Ignatius and all their cronies from Portland are tracking us. And they know we have the Blue Rose.

....

Sorry.

...This is Peridot, by the way.

-----

[Mingle and threadjack as you please!]

[ Guess who’s got two thumbs and five bottles of faerie ale burning a hole in his inventory? This guy! ]

So, who’s up for a drink?

[Around the start of the new performance week, the Ringmaster will light up everyone's radios with an important message. Or, rather, some important musing.]

Hello, this is the Ringmaster speaking. I say that for the benefit of any new arrivals - everyone else surely recognizes my voice, by now. The rest of this may leave you in the dust as it will be touching on some carnival history, but you can may questions if you want to get up to date.

So, I spent a lot of time thinking when the lot of you were busy with that Pillar drama. As most are aware, a couple months ago we went on a mission to retrieve an extremely powerful artifact called the Blue Rose, which we have been using to defend the carnival from faerie threats. Which, seems successful so far, given that Nightshade didn't dare enter the grounds the entire time we were there! A victory, indeed.

It got me thinking, though... the Blue Rose actually comes as a set. As I've explained to a few of you, the Blue Rose is an organism created by the first Queens of Arcadia. Only three artifacts of its kind exist, as far as I know, and I fairly sure that none of them are actually in faerie hands.

So, I thought... what if we were somehow able to get the other two? Not only would that be enough to ward off the Courts completely, it would go a long way to defending us against any of the other nonsense we come across! Perhaps we could even go back to business as usual, for a while...

Anyway, in an attempt to be more forthcoming, I am presenting this idea to you for general 'work shopping' purposes. I know that the Blue Rose was a big hassle to get, but we know so much more now than we did then! I think it's worth a second look.