[The announcement is made around lunch hour, so you better be awake.]

Alright guys, listen up. We got some news yesterday, and it heavily implied that we have a crew of Summer Court fae tailing us as we speak. We're scheduled to be here for another six days... so, in the meantime, we gotta stop things up a bit.

First up, no more solo research. If you're going to be away from the carnival grounds, make sure you're in pairs - or even better, groups of three or four. I know Psi always tells everybody to do this, but this time it's for real. I don't want anybody wandering out there by themselves.

Lets try to work it so that every group has at least one person with a quick travel ability. That means people who can teleport, travel through shadows, fly really fast, or whatever. The faster everyone can collect back at the carnival, the faster we can get out of here if something goes wrong.

On that note, leave your radios on. Radios are not optional.

Gongenzaka, Syrlya, Amethyst, Shura, Zangetsu. Spread out between any groups forming so that I can have a point of contact. It's your job to make sure that people get moving as soon as an evacuation is called. Prioritize running over fighting. There's no point in dealing with these guys if we don't have to.



...Lastly, is anybody compiling these stories? If you haven't made a copy of any relevant stories you found, do that now. If you don't know how, get somebody else to do it for you. We should get them all into a binder or something.

Anyway, that's it. Oh, uh... if you have quick travel abilities, maybe speak up here? I've got teleportation available for any group that needs it. I'm not picky.

[Feel free to mingle/hijack threads as necessary.]

'evening, Carnival!

Since we'll want ta help each other out while we're out here in the stacks, 'n since not all of us have been here years or however long you vets have been hanging in there, why don't ya introduce yourselves before ya read off anything interesting ya've found? Seems like a good time ta get ta know each other, right~?

I'll start!

Shima Renzou, reporting! And rright nnoowww.. [A pause and there's a shuffling of loose papers, possibly being rolled on or swum through.] I've found the biggest mountain of old newspaper clippings I've ever seen. Do Fae have newspapers? Ah, some of it might be poems--let's see...

"A few young sages one bright day..."

'Sages' is promising, right?

"Disputed, doth an old tale say,
Which is the prettiest part of women:"

Oooh...

"Some said the cheeks, and some the eyes,
And so they sought the beauteous Lais,
And asked her to award the prize.
The lady said, perhaps displeased,
These thoughts I cannot understand.

"If you could have them where you pleased,
I wonder where you'd put your hand?
'Twould be, you would see,
On their..."

...Oops, ehehe! I can't say that out loud ♥


((ooc: Mingle! This post is for sharing readings with everyone--dumb stuff, little plot stuff, 'anonymous' CR-related stuff to accidentally embarrass people in the carnival if you've found something on them, whatever your character might put on the air. Thread jumping encouraged! Shima will respond to anyone to who addresses him directly, feel free to show up just to roll your eyes at him.))

[ The first one to speak is the Ringmaster, sounding a bit guarded and reluctant, like she's not sure if she wants to deliver this message or not. ]

We have... a visitor at the carnival today, who is asking us for assistance. She comes from a group called the Star Guardians, who I've aided in the past, which is why I'm been sought out this time. They have this entire 'saving the universe' style gig going on.

It can be an enormous hassle, however, and I feel like we've had a few too many disasters as of late. So... I'm going to leave this up to you. You can help her as she asks, or you can stay in the safety of the carnival. I won't force your hand, either way. Just know that whatever she asks you to do will be dangerous, even if it's for a good cause.

Here. I'll let her explain herself.

[ The public channel of the radio clicks off and then on again, but there’s a few seconds' pause before anyone starts speaking. The young woman’s voice that comes across the radio won’t be familiar to anyone at the Carnival, but her voice is clear, with only the barest hint of a waver to it. ]

My name is Noa Minette. I’m from this world — from Wismuth — and I’m speaking to you now because I have something to ask you.

[ She takes a breath. ]

Wismuth needs your help. ...I need your help. [ She makes the more honest correction half a beat later, sounding a little more subdued, before she finds the strength in her voice again. ]

I’m a Star Guardian. The Ringmaster said she hadn’t met one in quite a while, and we usually come as a team, but here, it’s just me.

If you’ve seen the posters around the city, you know that CY-Ren is going to be holding a concert. No matter what happens, I have to stop that concert from happening. If not… [ She hesitates. ] I don’t think it’s going to be something this world can recover from. I don’t know exactly what she has planned, but I know it’s something Void's never tried before.

I can’t face CY-Ren, not on my own. I don’t expect people to help without knowing what they’re getting into, so I’ll try to answer what I can.

[Hi, did you want a radio message at two in the morning? A minute ago Julien yelled "No!" which might have been audible in the rooms to either side.

He's very distracted but has enough of his wits now to not want to cause a panic. His human form is using the angel language he learned in Portland. Only a few other carnies understand it, and his voice has the artificial flatness of someone who's learned to speak calmly in bad situation. His breath keeps catching in a pained way, though, and he doesn't know it but he's only got a minute or so left.]

I took Reira to see me in the stable. There are wolves. They're taking us outside somewhere. Servants are not part of this.

I will try to help her. Any way I can.

It's my fault.

[This message will go out about fifteen minutes after arriving in the carnival, while everyone is still waking up and recovering. The Ringmaster sounds far more subdued than normal - like maybe she's tired, or sick, or perhaps just sad.]

That... wasn't what I expected to happen.

[There is a long pause, and then she sighs.]

I imagine you all have some questions. I don't have time to address all of them now, but I can attempt the most important one. Who you were there isn't who you are now. It isn't a creature entirely separate from you, either. They are a reflection of your identity - they are who you could be. Who you could have been. The reality of circumstance and choice is too complex to figure out all the factors that changed you, but in the end, it doesn't really matter.

Use these memories to guide you, not to demean you. Allow them to inform your future, but not rule it. You are, as ever, all of what you choose to be.


Please be polite to our hosts. She didn't know know I was coming. Bye for now.