Lost Carnival Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ringleaders) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
lostcarnival2017-07-22 12:42 am
ringleaders) wrote in lostcarnival2017-07-22 12:42 am
⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 4
Who: Anyone, anywhere in Portland.
When: October 22nd - 31st, 2017
Where: In Portland, for the last time.
What: The seasons change as the Winter Court seizes a surprise victory, claiming both the Tree of Life's pendant and the blood catalyst needed to take control of the Severing Ritual. Meanwhile, interdimensional problems are about to get more weird. Check out the conflict results for the attack on the Circle as well as the Beast's attack on the Summer Court here.
Warnings: Individually marked!
When: October 22nd - 31st, 2017
Where: In Portland, for the last time.
What: The seasons change as the Winter Court seizes a surprise victory, claiming both the Tree of Life's pendant and the blood catalyst needed to take control of the Severing Ritual. Meanwhile, interdimensional problems are about to get more weird. Check out the conflict results for the attack on the Circle as well as the Beast's attack on the Summer Court here.
Warnings: Individually marked!
DAYS OF WINTER↴ As the end of October nears, so does the grasp of winter. On the night of the 22nd, it will freeze overnight, and the temperature will drop for the following days. As the night grow long, world-wide magic slowly reaches it apex, set to reach it on the night of Halloween. With so many factors at play, knowing what to do with that moment of power may be a challenge. ► FULL CIRCLE: The Angels succeed in their planned attack on the Circle, managing to get to the living quarters of the Council members with the help of Ashleigh Mischief. The plan goes without much resistance from the mages or from the demons attempting to claim the ritual object for their own. Of course, when the fae make a surprise attack on the Angels after they flee the scene, it has the surprise result of the Winter Court ended up with the pendant in their talons. Threads for this attack can be done in this log. If you need mod direction at all, let us know, but otherwise feel free to NPC demons, angels, or random Circle members as you require. ► THE QUEEN'S GARDEN: Realizing that the Rose Queen is distracted with attempting to claim the pendant, the Beast will summon her co-conspirators to raid the Queen's gardens. The ultimate plan seems to be to get the Beast far enough into the gardens to kill the Queen, while also rescuing as many changelings as possible along the way. As it turns out, this doesn't go well. While they do manage to penetrate the gardens with Childermass's help, the Rose Queen, Ignatius, and Nightshade happen to all be there. Seriously outnumbered, even by the Beast's terms, it will take everything the group has to just make it out alive, sustaining heavy injuries as they go. In the end they will manage to rescue Greg universe and four additional changelings that were imprisoned there, but any damage done to the Summer Court itself will be negligible. Threads for this can also be played out here! ► REFLECTIONS: As the ritual draws closer, the line between this reality and the one you came from will also be becoming less clear. Regaining memories is not required, but it will naturally become easier to occur, especially if you're already started receiving them. It's a good time to start making connections, while you still have the chance. ► THE SEVERING: One way or another, the Severing is going to make an impact on both this world and the lives of those trapped inside of it. The Angels are going to be making an attempt to interrupt the Winter Court's ritual, as will the Summer Court and Anath's forces. Whoever comes up on top will be the ones to decide what to be done with it. Yet, with news that the Severing continuing could cause irreversible damage to the planet's spirit, it could feel like there are no perfect options. There will be an event header put up for this by the mods closer to the end of July. (NOTE: canon powers will returning while the ritual is in progress, so keep that in mind for planning - both sets of powers will be active.) |
STEVEN DOESN'T TURN INTO A DRAGON
Steven knows this is stupid, but he can't think of any other options. He can't just leave his dad's fate in other people's hands - let alone someone like Childermass, whom he still barely has reason to trust. The familiar landscape of the Queen's gardens summons up a low burning horror in him, that makes him want to be ill, to just lay down and give in. Yet, he doesn't.
It isn't just about him at the moment. If he can't get his dad back, then there's at least one other way he can be of use to people.
The cage Steven had been kept in when he wasn't busy with his duties was near the central courtyard of the gardens. It was beautiful, when viewed in an abstract sense - separate from the cruelties that had been committed within it and as a result of it. The bars were made of thorny vines, twisted and patterned like a garden fence and gate, that closed up at the top with space enough to see the sky through the thorns.
There was a raised patch of moss with vines growing around it that had functioned as a bed, and sometimes had functioned to hold him down for hours at a time when he'd misbehaved, ensuring his inability to even attempt an escape. To one side, a small stream flowed through, that could be used to drink and wash away anything that need cleaning. On the other side, there was a fruit bearing tree that peeked through the bars, that allowed him to eat when necessary.
The flavours were sweet, but the idea of them still leaves a nauseous feeling inside of him. Any superficial beauty there was hollow, and beyond those three amenities, the prison had been sparse and lonely. All that remained of his personal impact on the place were some piles of nice looking rocks that had function as something approximating toys, and some fragile flowers that he'd covertly transplanted from other places in the garden. Nothing there really belonged to him, and it still doesn't.
He doesn't want to go back.
Yet, that is the direction he's been going, ever since this attack started. He's not fighting - just running and avoiding, using his knowledge of the gardens to travel in the Beast's wake. He has to get to where his dad is being kept, and after that... it doesn't matter. After that, he'll figure out what has to be done.
His skin has gotten bloodied and his wings are torn as he reaches his old prison, and his footsteps become cautious. He doesn't dare call out, but he approaches all the same.
⇨ FOR OTHERS
Having demanded to follow Childermass into the battle, in the interest of saving his father, Steven is along for this ride whether he likes it or not. His main priorities are freeing any changelings he can find, as well as finding where his father is being kept. He'll be fighting fire with fire - or rather, flora with flora, because all he can do is delay the existing plans, or use his influence to momentarily convince them away from attacking.
He's almost as familiar with the layout of the gardens as Childermass is, though he's not going to be paying much attention to anything besides finding Greg. If he has to run into danger, so be it.
For Others
That doesn't mean in the chaos he didn't get separated, and when dodging around the vines to find his way back he runs into--"Steven!"
Good, he's still all right. Yuya makes his way right for him, eying the vines in case he needs to weave out of danger.
Reunited again
He lies on the moss, curled in on himself. Without the magic she's given him these years, he's been helpless against her special brand of torment, and the evidence of it is clear. The gashes of thorns look worse than they feel--in part due to the narcotic poison numbing his senses. He lies as still as he can to combat the nausea and pain. If he doesn't move, if he blocks out as much as possible, it's almost a nice bed.
The sound of footsteps ruins the effect, however, and he tenses. She's back, faster than usual. He'd rather lie still, hope she passes him by, but ignoring her only makes for a ruder greeting. Slowly, shakily, he raises his head.
The sight of his visitor makes him moan. Not another trick. She's been teasing him with thoughts of escape, of dragging Steven back, of letting them watch each other suffer. "Not now. Please. I can't."
no subject
He goes straight for the bars of the cage, wrenching against them with his hands. He doesn't know how he's supposed to do this. He wasn't strong enough to fight his way out from the inside, how he is supposed to be able to clear the way now? The doubt eats away at him, even as he continues to struggle, trying not to dwell on how miserable and hurt his dad looks.
He doesn't have to wonder. He understands. He knows.
He starts growing his own vines up along the side of the cage, letting them work their way between the bars and attempt to pull outward, bending or breaking the walls of the prison. The effort of it is clear on Steven's face, but the cage fights against the pressure.
Finally, he'll go to his last resort - something he'd hesitated to even dare bringing into her gardens, but is now thankful that he was brave enough to. He's got a bag he brought with him, and inside of it there is an iron knife with a mostly wooden handle. Just taking it in hand is enough to feel uncomfortably hot-cold in the way that iron seems to be, but all the same, he starts hacking against the vines.
no subject
"Stop. Stop it, please."
Something about this feels off. It's different, strange. Less direct. Sloppier, slower. It feels like a slow build up before a dramatic payoff, the slow-building dread of a horror movie before the bloodshed begins.
"Don't do this. Please go away."
no subject
Though, he worries about what state his dad's mind might be in. Illusions weren't usually how it went, when he was here. Maybe because she'd usually not been thinking about what she did to him as torture. Just the intended result.
"I'm... I'm real," he says, his voice quiet at hesitant as he works. He's scared to even talk in this place, lest he draw attention, but... "I promise... I know it doesn't seem like, but..."
He cuts through a vine, and the two severed ends regrow into individual points, snapping out a him like whips. One of them catches him in the face and the winces, accidentally dropping the knife, the eye closest to the strike reflexively tearing up. He catches it in a hand, and manages to tangle up the ends in his own vines, keeping them from growing back into place.
He gasps from the exertion, and then patiently reaches down to pick up the knife again. This is familiar to him, by now. Almost soothing. Working with plants like this, getting hurt, continuing on. Just like work in the garden had been before.
He cuts more aggressively in response, but despite his attempt to block the cage from regrowth, he's still losing ground. He shoves his body into the gap he's created to try to keep it open, reaching out a hand for Greg.
"I know it's hard, but... D-Dad. Please. You have to try."