LOST CARNIVAL -> IC Contact

[moonfang]

✆CHANNEL FREQUENCY: 015.01502
DESCRIPTION: Zangetsu spends quite some time listening in on the radio and learning all kinds of interesting things.

✉MAIL BOX LOCATION: Mailbox on Door
DESCRIPTION: The mailbox is nondescript and painted white. There's no name on it, but there is a black crescent moon painted on one side.

Comments

busts into ur inbox like... radio, sometime during the post-prince death downtime

[atouts]

[ And now onto the third troublemaker, Zangetsu, who will be getting a call on his personal frequency. ]

Zangetsu. If you've recovered from your stint as a sword-- [ He's pretty sure he saw him at the second hunt, so yeah, probably. ] I would like a word with you.

GUTE. thats german. for good.

[moonfang]

That's my true self, you realize. But yes. Thanks fer droppin' me off with my master. [a pause] What's up?

TO ZANGETSU

[criticallyfucked]

[Halfway through their lunar vacation, Zangetsu will find a strangely shaped glass vessel on his doorstep, containing exactly half a pint of human blood.

With it is a note that reads:

BLOOD FOR BLOOD

.... enjoy(?)]

[moonfang]

[after a long day of playing in the snow, it's... always a little concerning to come home to a weird bowl of blood on your cabin porch. With even more concerning notes. Whoever had left it was long gone, though, so Zangetsu crouches and dips his finger in the blood, then puts the finger in his mouth.

... Ah! It was from that guy. That guy that made the cardboard-tasting constructs. Foster? Yeah. That's his name.

... Blood for blood, though. Not ringing any bells. He shrugs again and picks up his odd gift and brings it inside. He could put a cactus in it or something later???]

... does that mean I need to get him something....

during winter break

[pipers_son]

[In the mailbox is a simple bag of gingerbread men, with a simple ribbon of colorful fabric tying it all together. There's nothing special about the cookies or the bag, or the ribbon. It's just... gingerbread.]

[Don't like gingerbread? Well that's just too bad. There's no return address on these suckers.]

[moonfang]

[they're probably stale by the time Zangetsu makes it back to his trailer...

but luckily for him (and unluckily for the cute little gingerbread men) he doesn't care]

D21, Lunar Solstice

[atouts]

[ Wherever Zangetsu is staying (like straight up where he's staying, on a bed or on its matching nightstand because Childermass is a shadow-hopping creep like that), he will — at some point during that day — find a plainly wrapped package, tied shut with colored twine. The tag attached simply reads,

'Zangetsu,

It is my hope that you find these useful.

- C '

Inside the package, two items: a Wallhack Potion as well as one of the caravan's Healing Draughts. Happy Lunar Solstice, dude. ]

[moonfang]

[it'd be so much creepier if he weren't just, you know.

used to it.

BUT HEY! WALLHACK POTION! Now he can be EXTRA CREEPY. Hella]

BOX IN HIS TRAILER: WITH NOTE

[ringleaders]

[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.]

"Zangetsu-

You'll have to solve your problems in a way that doesn't involve iron.

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 a this gross worm, which can leech magical energy from whatever it latches onto, thus temporarily weakening enchantments. Of course, it can also just be trivially crushed, so using it in a combative matter is probably unwise.]

B19

[sworntothesword]

Connie delivers a wrapped copy of the novelization of "The Eye", a originally a horror movie from Syngapore about a woman who can see the dead after getting an eye transplant.

It comes with a handwritten note from Connie:

Happy Holidays! I love books, and I hope you do too!

If you don't like this particular one, maybe you'll find one more to your liking in at the Book Swap!

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

B21 SURPRISE ITS MORE PRESENTS

[otoko]

I could not gift these to you immediately, but with what you provided, I can now!

Thank you, my friend, and I look forward to a spar where I am not so 'lightheaded'...

I have included something extra as well.

Happy Solstice

- Noboru Gongenzaka

[The first thing Zangetsu receives is an omamori charm made from Gongenzaka's plants; tricky weaving! The second thing however, is something for his furry new friend; using a more stiff branch, some vines, and plenty of feathery wisteria flowers, it's a chase toy! Try not to break it.]

Mailbox - Winter Break

[spaghettimonster]

[Left in Zangetsu's mailbox 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 ZANGETSU,
DID YOU EVER MENTION THAT YOU'RE A TWIN???
OR WHATEVER IT IS WITH YOU AND ICHIGO, I DOUBLETAKED WHEN I SAW HIM.
I THOUGHT MAYBE YOU'D DYED YOUR HAIR... AND YOUR EVERYTHING ELSE.
BUT NO, HE LIVES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRAILER PARK.
AND WHEN WE'RE ALMOST ALL ROOMING UP TO SAVE ROOM, IT HARDLY STANDS TO REASON THAT YOU WOULD GET TWO.
IF YOU DO SECRETLY HAVE TWO TRAILERS, LET ME KNOW!
ONE COULD BE A PLACE TO STORE STUFF.
A SECRET COMMUNAL STORAGE TRAILER.

Mailbox. Well kind of.

[eclipsingblade]

[Mailboxes don't fit all this stuff. In the mailbox is a short note:]

Zangetsu.

If you don't find several boxes sitting under this mailbox someone's stolen your shit.

[And there are indeed boxes! And they're wrapped! ... With newspaper mostly, half business section, half Local Stories, none of which is particularly interesting, but wrapping a tv takes a lot of work OK.

Boxes contain:

1 TV
1 Game System, with controllers
A Whole Bunch of Extra Games
A baggy with a single smooth rounded rock-like candy in it, which is oddly warm.

...And another note, inside one of the boxes.]

Let me know what you think of the candy.

[No name attached. Too bad!]

[moonfang]

[well, it doesn't have to be signed for Zangetsu to know who wrote it. He recognizes the handwriting.

And besides, Ichigo can hardly touch anything without getting traces of his reishi all over it.

Also the fact that they're wrapped in newspaper. You didn't even try to be festive, did you, partner?

The gaming system and its accoutrements get a curious head tilt and an interested smile (he's seen Ichigo play these things, and played a bit himself in Portland...), but there's something else in the package that draws his attention. Something that smells amazing.

But it's not quite an actual physical odor, he realizes as he digs into the bag. It's a spiritual signature, and the candy is warm to the touch. Colors swirl inside it and he holds it up to the light.

What did it remind him of...? And why did it feel just like a--]

... A mod soul?

[no. Not quite. It had all the energy and spark of a soul. Maybe even several! But there was no personality. No will, no thought. It was just energy.

He pops it in his mouth]

[about fifteen minutes later, he calls up Ichigo's private radio frequency, and he starts talking with no introduction]

Where did you get that candy.

a note from Childermass (post-medals, Space Olympics)

[atouts]

Zangetsu,

Mr. Joker is planning a surprise party for Steven Universe and has requested I pass this message along. If you would like to attend or aid the party in some way, please contact Mr. Joker directly.

- C

[ Yeah, yeah, Cole got the same note (mostly), so sue him. ]

[moonfang]

[THAT LITTLE PUNK GOT A GOLD MEDAL AND HE DIDN'T?!

Zangetsu has never balled up and incinerated a piece of paper more quickly.

Needless to say, the King of Sore Losers will not be there]

letter in mailbox, while in Space - sorry for the redundant letter, Papyrus is Thorough

[spaghettimonster]

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

[moonfang]

[he just thought that the letter from Childermass was the fastest he's ever destroyed something.

Nope

It's this one.

Plus a scream that might be heard throughout the carnival. In that scream; anguish, fury, and pure toddler-level buttrage]

radio, at some point while team scribe search has been out for hours

[atouts]

Zangetsu, are you still at the carnival?

[ Tyki is, as far as he knows, out and about still, but what about everyone else? ]

[moonfang]

Yeah, made it back here quite a few hours ago now. Been stayin' put.

radio; shortly after the RM returns after eating Iggy

[prazerbutterfly]

You still awake, buddy?

[Because he needs a fill in, quickly.]

oh thank goodness, it's bro

[moonfang]

I wish I were sleepin'. But I'm on corpse duty. 'Sup?

[he doesn't explain 'corpse duty' unless prompted]

radio; hours after Team Iggy returns

[anti_nonsense]

Zangetsu? It's Rita.

Are you still [putting it delicately...] with Strange?

[She means with his gross dead body.]

[moonfang]

Oh hey, you're alive. Gotta admit, I'm curious about what y'all did after I left, but that can wait, ne? I'm still corpse-sitting... Are you with the Ringmaster?

day 68

[kingsroads]

How much do you remember about our encounter with Ignatius? The first one, when we were all in the hallways, with yourself, myself, Hiragi, Jasper and the rest?

[moonfang]

Hmm... that time... [he thinks for a moment, humming, then answers;] He said he was lookin' for someone, didn't he? Someone who would betray the Carnival? Lapis, I think. Then he said if someone gave themselves over to 'im, he wouldn't kill the rest of us. [he scoffs] Such charity.