drrdrrdrr | Lost Carnival radio & mail

Well that gives me an excuse not to do it if I decide not to try it, I suppose. But I do have a spell that could cover me on all fronts, if necessary. I just don't know if I should.

Whoah wait, you mean you can?

Dude, you gotta do it!

But I don't know how, or what the customs involved are--!? I don't know anything about this!

[This BASICALLY SOUNDS like willingly poisoning yourself to her, and she's not sure she's down with that!]

Do it for meee Peridot...

Nnnnnnngh...

[Peer pressure. IT'S TOO MUCH.]

Alright fine. I'll do it, out of a sense of scientific curiosity. And... Also, for you.

[On B18, they will find a fancy looking gift box in his trailer with a note left on top. The handwriting is done in an over the top cursive that he might recognize as the Ringmaster's, written on aged papyrus with the ink seemingly made of shining gold.]

"Amethyst-

I'm happy that you've returned! I missed seeing you around!

The Ringmaster❧"

[Her signature is so massive and florid that it fills up the rest of the paper. When they open the box, they'll find 300 Beanie Babies.]

Edited 2017-12-16 20:57 (UTC)

Hey, Amethyst!

I need yer help with somethin', and I have a feelin' it's doomed ta make a mess, all of which is yers if ya come down ta the carnival cookhouse.

[On one hand, Joker should and has made some actual effort into a real gift, which is a tiny little gingerbread wrestling ring waiting for her. On the other hand, it's also accompanied by all the failed attempts and trash that comes from a huge cooking spree.]

[He knows she enjoys it.]

[Hopefully she doesn't (immediately) eat the joker playing card that comes with it, since there's a message.]

Glad to see you back! Here's to more great performances.

[Left on Amethyst's pile, outside the trailer, is a painted card. The card smells of pine needles, snow and a fireplace, and features Papyrus, waving enthusiastically ahead. Somehow there's boneprint snowflakes faintly falling against the pale background. Along the header and footer, the card reads:]

HAPPY GYFTMAS
(ON THE MOON)
FROM PAPYRUS!!!

[Inside, a personal message continues:]

HI AMETHYST,
I HOPE YOU'VE HAD A GOOD WINTER SOLSTICE!
(MAYBE IT'S NOT OVER YET? I'M TRYING TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT WHEN YOU'LL SEE THIS CARD, BUT I ALSO WANT TO BE OPTIMISTIC.)
THOUGH, THAT RAISES THE QUESTION:
WHEN DOES A WRITTEN WELLWISHING GO INTO EFFECT, ANYWAY?
WHEN THE RECIPIENT READS IT?
WHEN ANYONE BESIDES THE WRITER READS IT?
OR DOES IT WORK RIGHT NOW, AS I'M WRITING?
MAYBE IT'S ALL OF THE ABOVE... OR MAYBE IT'S PEDANTICS.
ANYWAY!! HAVE A GOOD TIME, WHENEVER THAT TIME IS!

[Rather than getting anything in her mailbox, there's a big sack on Amethyst's front steps with a note taped to it. Also, a bright green rosette style bow. The note reads:]

AMETHYST,

I'LL ADMIT, I HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE COMING UP WITH THE PERFECT SOLSTICE GIFT FOR YOU. I WAS MAKING EVERYONE ELSE SPECIAL ITEMS OUT OF MAGIC METAL, BUT NOTHING I COULD MAKE WITH IT REALLY SEEMED TO FIT YOUR "STYLE".

IT WAS KIND OF FRUSTRATING AT FIRST, BUT NATURALLY, I EVENTUALLY HAD A STROKE OF GENIUS FOR SOMETHING BETTER! I MEAN, I STILL HAVE A BIT OF THAT METAL LEFT SO IF YOU DO WIND UP WANTING SOMETHING MADE OUT OF THAT, I GUESS I CAN DO THAT. BUT I FIGURED YOU'D APPRECIATE SOMETHING LIKE THIS A LOT MORE. I'VE BEEN BUILDING A STOCK OF IT FOR MY GARDEN, BUT THERE'S MORE THAN ENOUGH OF IT FOR ME TO SHARE.

HAPPY SOLSTICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PERIDOT

[The huge sack is just. Absolutely CRAMMED FULL. Of compost. It is a fine vintage. Peridot has been hoarding food waste and compostable paper products from all around the carnival ever since she started Sadness Farming back when Amethyst left, so it has had a GOOD LONG WHILE to ripen.]

[ Connie delivers a wrapped copy of "Living on a Meme." An academic take on the phenomenah of memes, with plenty of examples to keep things interesting.

It comes with a handwritten note from Connie: ]

Hey Amythest! We haven't really seen each other around yet, have we? I wonder if fate itself is conspiring to keep us apart!

Anyway, I found a book and I hope you like it. It's about Memes.

If you don't like it, maybe the book drop has something else you'd like instead?

[ Included is a crude drawing of the cabin layout with a star pointing to where the book swap is located. ]

[Because this is Sans there's no long letter or card. It's just the gift wrapped up in random paper, with a brief note.]

-Sans

[It's a pile of three t-shirts.]

[Steven has left you a gift! There is a small note attached, left somewhere you are likely to find it.

It is a white throw pillow made with slightly iridescent faux fur, with a contrastingly pink patch of felt stitched to the front in the shape of the letters "8XM". The white fabric smells faintly of lavender and other hard to place relaxing aromas, and has subtle magical soothing effect from being close to it.

There is also a pair of shitty fucking swords that look cool in a 14 year old boy kind of way.]

"Happy Solstice, Amethyst!

I made this pillow with some magic fur material in the market. I think it smells really good, and being near it is supposed to make you feel more relaxed and ready to sleep!

I remembered how excited you were about knowing your official gem designation, so I put it on the front! And I thought you might think the other stuff was cool, too.

Love,
Steven"

Amethyst. This is really important....

But what kinda things does Steven love best when it comes ta parties?

[Can she even answer as a car...]

HELLO! THIS IS A NOTE ABOUT AN URGENT MATTER!

IF YOU'RE RECEIVING THIS NOTE AND YOU'RE STEVEN, STOP READING IMMEDIATELY! HOW DID YOU EVEN GET THIS, IT WASN'T IN YOUR MAILBOX!?

IF, HOWEVER, YOU ARE NOT STEVEN...

DO NOT BE ALARMED, NOTHING IS WRONG. THE URGENT MATTER IN QUESTION IS NONE OTHER... THAN A TOP-SECRET, SURPRISE SHINDIG! A PARTY TO CONGRATULATE THE -GOLD MEDALIST- AMONG US. IT WILL BE IN THE COOKHOUSE, SOON!

IF YOU'RE EAGER TO MAKE SNACKS OR DECORATIONS... OR WANT TO KNOW MORE... CONTACT JOKER! COVERTLY!

AND FEEL FREE TO HELP DISTRACT STEVEN AWAY FROM THE COOKHOUSE.

THANKS!
- PAPYRUS

[ By now, Lambert has seen Amethyst enough to recognize her, even if he doesn't actually have much of an impression beyond 'hangs out with Peridot and Steven a lot' and 'eats anything.

He's supposed to be figuring out how many people are back by now and considering heading out to fetch them in himself when he spots her out of the corner of his eye and turns, remembering Peridot's request. ]

Hey. You.

What?

[Amethyst is looking kind of spooked right now -- she's heard about what happened to Steven, but so far hasn't gotten any word on Peridot and is kind of freaked out about it, ALL CONSIDERED.]

Oh -- hey!
[For her part she doesn't know a ton about Lambert, but she does know that him and Peridot are tight, so the first thing out of her mouth (the regular mouth, anyway) is:] Have you seen Peridot anywhere?

Yeah. She came back to the Carnival with me.

[ At which point a normal person would probably get more specific about things, but also, Peridot didn't say 'send Amethyst to me when you see her' but also she's still hanging out with a half-naked Childermass, so. Time to improvise. ]

She's a little busy right now, but she said to tell you she's in one piece. [ Nailed it. ]

[Amethyst visibly slumps in relief.]

Heck, okay. Phew. She's not, like, hurt or anything, is she?

No, she's not.

[ Not physically, anyway. Mentally ... Lambert couldn't say. But moving on from that: ]

You're on patrol, right? See anything of the fae out there?

[She grimaces.] I ran into a bunch of janky ass shadows that stopped me from getting back here until just now, does that count? I'm guessing no, 'cause it kinda sounds like I missed a lot.

[ Lambert's expression is much the same. ]

Yeah, that'd be the Count. [ It definitely counts, since it's the Count's. Anyway. ] Lucky you didn't get caught.

[ The last thing Peridot needs right now is every single one of her friends captured. ]

[Amethyst pushes both of her hands over her face and a little way into her hair.] Uuughhhh. I almost wish I was, at least then I wouldn't be stuck out here trying to work out what we can even do about this.

Uh--Amethyst? [He hopes he got the right radio frequency here.] It's Yuya, from performance. I have something to say from Steven.

[Guess who's actually listening to her dang radio for once!] Wait, what? From Steven--?

Lost Carnival radio & mail

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BOX IN HER TRAILER: WITH NOTE

B19, morning

during winter break

Mailbox - Winter Break

SOLSTICE GIFT

B19

BREAK DAY 25

BREAK DAY 24

operation "gold medal surprise party for steven"

letter in mailbox, while in Space

day 59, evening

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Day 60

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