IC Contact - Lost Carnival

[scientificist]

✆CHANNEL FREQUENCY: 101.16662
DESCRIPTION: Herbert will usually answer but he almost always sounds irritated and terse about it.

✉MAIL BOX LOCATION: Mailbox on Door
DESCRIPTION: It's just the wooden one the trailer came with.

Comments

[ package ]

[whattaprick]

[ Sometime after the cure's been distributed, a package will turn up at whatever cabin Herbert's staying at, probably in the middle of all his actual lab stuff. Inside is a shirt with a note attached. ]

The bath's not the worst thing I've ever been covered in, and can't argue with the results. Since you are the closest thing to a doctor we've got right now, you'll probably have to deal with more of that. This should help with morale.

Lambert

[ Under the shirt is an onion with a :) drawn on it. Enjoy. ]

[scientificist]

???????????


Herbert plants the onion.
In the med tent.

during Cure Time

[dontpokethat]

[Sorry Herbert did you think you were going to get some time off now that the cure was distributed? Think again.

Well, he gets some time, at least. But then his radio crackles to life and Ginko's voice comes through.]

Hey, Herbert. Could you come take over watching these guys in the hot tub? I'll wait 'til you get here.

[He is not leaving these fuckos alone for a second.]

[scientificist]

[Of course. Of course not. It's not as bad as constantly getting paged to do menial labour at the hospital, at least. Overall, he does have more time to himself here.

Which is why he's just sitting and finishing off a book when his radio comes on. He sets down the book, slipping a piece of paper in where he left off, and picks up the radio to respond.]

They haven't left it yet--no, of course not, foolish of me to presume sensible action when they already disregarded my advice. I'll be right over.

[Ginko will catch the tail end of a sigh as Herbert lets go of the button, and starts getting ready to leave.]

[dontpokethat]

Thanks. ...The sooner, the better - I think Joker is about ready to try and fly off.

[By which he means he almost definitely already tried and Ginko had to stop him.]

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.]

[There is, however, a note tucked deep within their gingery, and it's written in extremely nice handwriting.]

Thanks for the help. Welcome to the carnival.

[scientificist]

[This is....confusing but very convenient. Now he doesn't have to go to the cookhouse to feed himself when it's required for a little bit.

Thanks, mystery gingerbread patient!]

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.]

"Herbert-

You'll need this if you're being to be our new Doctor. ;)

(That's a yes to your proposal, to be clear.)

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 Tome of Souls. This is essentially an etherically based textbook written about common universal rules for the soul, and how the soul interacts with biology and the mind. It's meant to help him integrate magic with his scientific work more easily, and will make an excellent starting point. It touching on concepts of necromancy, ressurection, and souls after death.]

Mailbox - Holiday Gift

[anti_nonsense]

[One day during the winter vacation, Herbert will find that a book has been delivered to his cabin, along with a note scribbled on a piece of paper torn out of a notebook:]

Dr. Herbert West,

Got this for you. You're probably more used to dealing with human patients than with the sort of freak show we've got going on here, so maybe it'll come in handy.

-Rita Mordio

[The book included with the note is a textbook titled Veterinary Medicine: Zoo and Wild Animals. It describes treatments for injuries and common ailments specific to non-domesticated animals. The author appears to be from a world slightly different from the Earth Herbert knows, as some of the creatures described are vaguely alien.]

[scientificist]

[This is, honestly, perfect--but he would expect nothing less of Mordio. Despite doubting her early on, and dismissing her entirely in the cave, she's proven to be an admirable scientist with apparently a good eye for what he requires in material for study.]

B18

[soft_focus]

[Fortunately for herself (mostly herself), Reira already knows where Herbert's cabin IS. As such, he'll find-left on the windowsill, carefully wrapped in plastic to stay dry, a single card.
The paint, it seems, was charmed-it seems to move slightly, with the chain in particular swaying a little.]



I tried to think of a card that was a doctor, but most of them aren't doing doctor things (or they're ladies, I guess...) So you're getting a special card-it's a Trap card. It's called 'Chain Healing', and lets you re-use it a lot, even while healing yourself. Since you're a doctor, it's like what you do, so I wanted to show you that card!!

Thank you for letting me look at 'Noctus'. - Reira

[scientificist]

[This is...he didn't expect this? What does one do with magically animated drawings from very serious children who helped you solve a problem?

In the end, he pins it up in his personal area in the med tent near the Noctus itself because people do that sometimes, he's seen, and it doesn't hurt anything to do that.]

B19

[criticallyfucked]

[Herbert will find a pair of alarming shoes on his doorstep, accompanied by a note, which reads only:

To make up for lost time.

If he's early enough, he may find some extremely weird foot prints in the snow. Too bad just about everyone in the carnival has extremely weird feet.

But not as weird as Herbert will have now.]

[scientificist]

[.....he is SO SUSPICIOUS of these, especially because it isn't too hard to work out who they're from. He has to go ask the Caravan what they're for...and then they're really useful actually? He just has to fix their aesthetic.]

Mailbox - Winter Break

[spaghettimonster]

[Left in Herbert'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 HERBERT,
I HOPE THIS CARD FINDS YOU WELL!
ENJOY THE VACATION! MAKE SOME NEW FRIENDS, MAYBE EVEN ME!
BECAUSE I WOULD RATHER NOT SEE YOU ON THE JOB.
DON'T BE OFFENDED BY THAT!
IT'S NOT YOU, IT'S YOUR JOB.
VISITING THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE IS FOR SICK AND INJURED PEOPLE.
WHICH I SHOULD NEVER BE!
IN THE UNLIKELY AND UNWANTED CHANCE THAT I EVER AM A PATIENT IN YOUR PRACTICE TENT...
HELLO IN ADVANCE?

B19

[sworntothesword]

[ Connie delivers a wrapped copy of "Swiney's Unlicensed Robots." The description reads "A man tries to turn his fortune around after coming into the possession of a menagerie of zany robots. "

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. ]

during wismuth

[kingsroads]

[ sometime during the early days of Wismuth, Strange rings up Herbert's private channel. ]

West? Is your radio on hand? [ and then, without waiting for an answer, Strange just launches into his dumb bullshit, expecting Herbert to answer ] Someone bit me a few hours ago. The bleeding's stopped, but her teeth were remarkably sharp and I've no idea if the wound is closing up properly. Do you mind taking a look at it?

[ how to get Strange to actually go to the doctor's office: physical violence. ]

[scientificist]

[It's times like these Herbert wishes he had a pager like he would if he was an ordinary doctor. Better than a walkie talkie, which leads to him getting some glares from other patrons of the library when it crackles to life in his jacket pocket.

Strange receives a response five minutes later when Herbert is packed up and walking back to the park.]

I'll be at the medical tent in approximately 15 minutes--if it's an urgent matter I'm sure you can get it seen to sooner: unless you're, asking me specifically in order to avoid returning to the carnival.

[He stops walking abruptly when that occurs to him and someone behind him makes a huffy noise as they nearly walk into his back. Also, important question:]

Someone bit you.

[kingsroads]

Peridot bit me.

[ he clarifies. There's no ill will in Strange's voice, he's just stating this like it's a matter of fact thing. ]

Fifteen minutes is fine—I don't think it's urgent. I've put bandages on the wounds, but I haven't looked at them since. Her teeth get hot as well as sharp and I've no idea how that reacts with skin.

LATE NIGHT 59

[soft_focus]

[Realistically, she should probably be in bed. She even got changed into her PJs for the night, slippers and all. But the fact was, she couldn't sleep. There was too much going on, and the knowledge that everything had been thrown off too much for the next day to possibly function on its regular schedule left her instead rolling out from her bed, and telling her brother she was going to go for a walk.

Rather fortunately, being 7, her bedtime is fairly 'early' in the night... ...So while it's late evening when she makes her way to the medical tent, it's not so late that people would be asking why anyone is wandering about in the first place. She can't just leave this, though. She can't, and rather shyly she peers into the tent.] ....Doctor Herbert?

[....If there's no answer, she eventually just comes inside and keeps calling, voice somewhat low.] ...Doctor Herbert, are you here..?

[She probably should have used the radio. Oh well.]

[scientificist]

[Herbert has met people. He's done surgery and directed amateur surgery on himself. Today has sucked, overall. When Reira comes in, calling quietly for him, he's lying on his back on a cot, IV threaded into his elbow, charred and half featherless wings flopping down over the sides.

He opens his eyes at her second call, squinting myopically into the dim evening lighting of the tent.]

Hmm?

[Fumbling for his glasses, he puts them on and sits up: shirtless but covered in bandaging around his chest.]

Reira?

[soft_focus]

[Ohhhhh....she ducks her head a bit when she sees the condition he's in.] Umnnn... ..Hmmn... I should have come later... [She mutters, though she doesn't leave quiet yet.]

...I wanted to say sorry, [she says somewhat anxiously.] ...Since it was a faerie instead of a book, and I was mean about how to fight when we thought it was... [She adds, chewing her lip.]

Day 68, Radio

[anti_nonsense]

[After that big dramatic nightrunner shitshow that the rest of the carnival sadly didn't hear, a few important questions were raised, as well as the names of a few people who might have answers. Since one of those people is Herbert, he gets a radio call from Rita that evening.]

Herbert? This is Rita. Do you have a minute?

[scientificist]

I have time now that Strange is out of my hair. What is it?

[anti_nonsense]

I wanted to ask you about the day all those abductions happened.

...You're alone, right? [It's probably best if no one overhears.]