⇨ INTERLUDE: A Continuation

[ringleaders]

Who: The Ringmaster, all Supervisors, and any rule-breaker onlookers.
When: Twilight on D40
Where: The woods surrounding the grounds.
What: The Ringmaster found something threatening and has decided to share it with her supervisors.
Warnings: Wannabe satanism.

CATCH A FALLING STAR↴ The Ringmaster waits for all of the Supervisors to arrive before continuing onward. She doesn't say much about what they are doing as they wait for everyone to arrive, simply explaining that she has found something concerning that she needs to show them. Once everyone is together, she will lead the pack into the woods - with or without any snoops who may be trying to follow after, against her wishes. The forest is far more accommodating to her than it is to anyone else who tries to navigate it. Instead of getting wound in circles by its path, and running into dead ends, it's as if the trees have moved themselves to intentionally create an easy path for her to follow. It's stretching into the twilight hours as they travel, and various phosphorescent flowers and pods have begun glowing among the leaves with the shift to night, faintly illuminating the way. The sun is low in the sky when they arrive at the spot, still present but swiftly fading as its light cuts through the trees in beams. They reach an area that is not so much a clearing as it is a small space, tucked away between trunks and branches. In the center of that space lies a large, black mark, cut into the earth like a ritual sigil. The dirt and rock is blackened along its lines, and all plant-life within a few feet of its presence has died out completely. As the dark approaches, the black of the lines will seem to paradoxically glow, as if the void within it somehow creates a light of its own. The Ringmaster kicks a few last leaves off of the mark - it seems that she's been clearing away mess from this spot already today, and indicates the digit with a snarl of disgust. "I told you I was cursed!" she insists, putting her hands on her hips.

Comments

[cuckooed]

"I'd prefer less injury, myself." Koel looks over at Zecora. "But whatever we do presents danger. I want our people to be able to protect themselves whether the Ringmaster acts or not."

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

"I said 'less', not none at all.
We must somehow answer this call.
But whatever response is to be our fate
Think 'surgically precise' -- not 'amputate'."

That was a message for the Ringmaster, even if it wasn't directly voiced to her. Zecora had never blamed her for the vampires, nor was she certain any blame accrued from this current mess. But a reprisal that put the carnival in unnecessary jeopardy would cross a line.

[dorkypantsuit]

Psi has made his arguments. Though his frustration is palpable, he stays silent. There's nothing more he can say to convince anyone either way. All there was to do was to wait and see what was decided. He crosses his arms in front of him, turning away from Mari in an attempt to effectively end their conversation. He steps to the edge of the clearing, waiting for Sans and Peridot to return.

[motivenotfound]

Mari takes a deep breath, then lets it out as an aborted half-sigh. She's frustrated too, although a lot less emotionally so than the Psiionic. She's itching for a decision. Waiting has been a big part of her life. Like... a majority of it, actually. Now that she's in a position to take action more regularly, she wants to.

Psiionic's really been pretty rude, though. She didn't say she wanted people to die! And of course she can't see the future. Neither can he! But being afraid of taking action because it might have consequences, while simultaneously assuming inaction doesn't have consequences... he's not avoiding casualties, he's avoiding responsibility!

He really needs to get born.

She lets Joker get between them, but continues staring a hole into Psiionic's bicolour, pupilless eyes until he turns away from her. Then, and only a few seconds AFTER then, really, when everyone else is done talking... she looks at the Ring Master.

[pipers_son]

Jeez... Talk about a mess and a half. Once it's certain that neither Psi or Mari are going to go after each other, Joker eases back with a low whistle of a breath. Mouth twisted, his eyes flick back down to the sigil that's got them all worked up.

"Well," he says after a pause when it seems like no one else has anything to say, "the most important thing s'far as I can tell is ta keep our calm and get as much information on the buggers. I'm with Zecora on that." Well, probably. Sometimes figuring out rhymes is a little tricky. "Would ya send the Nightriders out ta figure out how in deep they are and who they are, all that, or do ya have somethin' else in mind, ma'm?"

As he talks, he shifts a bit, one wing stretching out to brush conciliatory against Psi's back. He knows you're not happy, buddy, but he's not sure how to help right now in the moment.

[osteothropy]

Just then, Sans's and Peridot abruptly return with no knowledge of the tension in the air, only to be basically clotheslined by it upon arrival. Sans glances around curiously, and then offers a vague salute in greetings.

"Is this a bad time?" he asks.

[pipers_son]

"Nope!" Joker says with the kind of aggressive cheeriness that says he's not going to let anyone say anything to the contrary. At this point, he thinks he might prefer the thing just blowing up instead of dealing with this anymore.

"Bring soda?"

[periphrasing]

Peering owlishly around at the rest of the group, Peridot takes half a step backwards to hide partway behind Sans. Usually she's totally tone deaf, incapable of reading the room, but... everyone seems really worked up. Even she couldn't miss it.

Well. Everyone except Joker.

She coughs and clutches the fish-shaped bag full of materials to her chest, fidgeting, avoiding eye contact with everyone but the Ringmaster. "After a bit of improvisation, I believe I have gathered the materials necessary to make a reasonable attempt at this," she announces. "...I also brought the components for building a remote detonator."

You know. In case anyone was worried. About that.

[dorkypantsuit]

"Well then get it over with already."

[lordofthering]

"Excuse me," the Ringmaster says with some offensive, in lofty tones. She gives Psi a critical look, raising her chin. "You're not the one who will make that call! You can all feel free to offer your various opinions, but the ultimate decision will be in my hands - and no amount of hurt feelings will change that!"

That will cover as her response to the various questions that have been thrust in her direction, at least for now. She thinks that she's got this handles, and honestly doesn't see the point in all this slap fighting. She puts her hands on her hips.

"...That said, Peridot: let's get this thing blown up, already."

[osteothropy]

"...Welp. Here we go," Sans says, patting Peridot on the shoulder and then reaching into one of his portable holes to pull out a small crate of cream soda. He passes it over to Joker.

"If you need me, I'll be in my chair, allll the way over there."

He points off into the trees, and then vanishes.

[cuckooed]

And Koel is going to quietly step a few paces back, though she looks up, her ears perked. Maybe she's just waiting for the kaboom, but the forest doesn't seem quiet enough. Cracking leaves and bushes. Were they being watched even now? Or is it Koel's worry?

She looks around, just in case.

[lordofthering]

As Koel looks up and around watchfully, Ringmaster does as well. And once she has... well, it isn't hard to tell what's off. She gives Koel a look, as if to ask 'are they serious?' and then turns to the other supervisors.

"One moment."

And then she is leaping into the trees, roaring furiously, underbrush smacked out of the way and practically sizzling.

"GONGENZAKA? IS THAT YOU?"

[pipers_son]

Well. Shit.

Joker takes that all with grace as he holds out the crate of soda, sighing. "Anyone else want some while she's off, then?" he offers. "We might be here for a spell."

[cuckooed]

Oh, thank goodness, its just Gingenzaka...wait a second.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice is raised just enough for him to hear her. "You were told this meeting was Supervisors only, dear!"

She does take a can while she's at it.

"Thank you."

[periphrasing]

Psi gets a bit of A Look from Peridot when he makes that demand, but she's otherwise quiet up until the Ringmaster takes off. That bellowing gets a flinch out of her; aside from the fact that the Engineer just spooks easily, it's also easy for her to forget how terrifying that woman can be until she loses her cool.

Shaking off the urge to shudder, she glances at Joker.

"...I don't have a digestive system with which to process human confections," she says, like that's a totally normal thing that people bring up in conversation all the time.

[cuckooed]

"Doesn't stop me." Koel pops her can open and starts to drink with a sigh. "Once in a while at least."

She really is disappointed in Gongenzaka. Well, she won't be so much when she finds out he was trying to help, but for now... The frown says it all, and for a moment, her worry about the sigil is gone, at least.

[periphrasing]

"Wait," Peridot says, staring at Koel while she sips. "Seriously?"

She doesn't really wait for an answer, she just snatches up a can and stares at it uncertainly, a newfound curiosity glinting in her eyes. After a second, she pops the tab on it, giving a slight jolt of surprise when it hisses at her.

Everyone please ignore this dumb alien.

[cuckooed]

"Perhaps I'll explain later." Koel watches The Peridot Show as she sips. "This is all just empty calories for me."

[pipers_son]

"And even if they don't do anythin'," Joker says, taking a seat on the forest floor with a can of his own in hand, "sometimes the texture is fun, innit? Because of all the bubblin' in yer mouth."

Good thing wooden fingers are a little different than flesh ones, because it doesn't annoy him quite as much to open his can. As he takes a sip, he glances off to where the Ringmaster had run off to. "...I wonder if Sans knows two of his are in trouble. Again."

[periphrasing]

OK but Peridot doesn't even have an esophagus, Koel. Unfortunately, her curious tendencies are such that she's going to jump immediately on this new information that offers even the slightest chance that she might be able to partake in this corn syrup laden drink that everyone is so crazy about.

While they're waiting for the Ringmaster to come back, she holds the can up to her nose and sniffs it. Dare she...?

[dorkypantsuit]

Well if you're all going to drink some soda he wants some too. He maybe edges in close enough to grab one. He pops it open with a flick of his psionics before taking a sip.

"It's not going to hurt you." he says as he watches Peridot smell the can.

[periphrasing]

"I know that," she snaps defensively, hunching up and holding the soda to her chest.

Another pause. She glances at it again.

Fine. Yeah. OK. She's gonna fuckin' do it.

With both hands on the can, she throws back a big swig of this sugary delight, filling her horrible purple mouth with it.

Peridot lowers the can. Now she's just standing there with a mouthful of soda, cheeks puffed out slightly? She looks conflicted about what the carbonation is doing to her mouth. Her face is all screwed up like just sniffed something rotten.

She just keeps standing there. Nothing changes, except for her cheeks slowly turning a teal color. When the hell is the Ringmaster going to come back.

[lordofthering]

Right now, apparently. The yelling and violence in the trees is mostly brief, and after some feelings and faces are hurt, the Ringmaster comes back, looking a bit more calm. Though her impatience spikes again when she sees Peridot standing there with a face full of soda.

"Peridot!" she snaps, raising her hands indignantly. "Why aren't you setting things up yet! Don't just stand there!"

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

"If you must, could you berate
More quietly? I must concentrate."

Zecora muttered this as she tried to ease the sharp obsidian edge of her hoof between the pull tab and the top of her soda can. As she'd been doing for several minutes now. This was as far from easy as possible for a shape-altered ungulate.