lostcarnival | ⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 4 PT2

Carly's support of Yuya is relieving, and he maintains his smile. If they could believe in him, he wouldn't let them down. He looks around when he hears Foster, staring at the... bear, that he assumes was the one talking. He hadn't actually considered if anyone would want to stay in Portland with their rearranged memories, separated from their home.

"... Uh. I guess you can stay...?" It's not really his decision, but if the bear is one of the carnival workers, surely the Ringmaster could work something out. Actually, who is that bear?

He hears Jack being Jack in the background, but there's about 15 feet and dozens of angels blocking his sight. At least it looks like everyone's congregating now.

Foster angles his head slightly, creating an effect not entirely unlike a side-eye. It's not hostile, exactly, but there is a clear aura of reproach--his gaze passes from her to Yuya, and then back to Carly.

He doesn't say anything, exactly--just casts a glance up at Pru before turning his entire face away after a second.

He's not enthusiastic about what's coming, but he's reluctant to believe them. For something so important could be given to him that easily? No... he wants to believe it, wants that to be how simple this is, but no.

Edited 2017-07-29 00:11 (UTC)

"Oh, yeah, and we can totally trust her, am I right?"

Taako's smug, irritated voice cuts into the conversation; he approaches on Garyl, still bleeding pretty decently from where an ice blade struck his shoulder earlier and looking very ruffled from the wind.

"I mean, I'm just saying-- last time any of us made a deal with her, we wound up giving up a fuckin' year of our lives to do her bidding."

Damien approaches Yuuya, rifling through his pockets.

"Speaking of which," he says. "No sign of that pendant yet, so the Count probably still has it. In the meantime... we really gotta start getting you ready for the ritual, in the event we get it back."

They'd gone over the theoreticals several times before, but this was different. This was also, ending up largely improved. He pulls out a pair of reading glasses and a couple pages of scribbled notes with angelic symbols and other mess.

"I'm gunna need some of you and Yuugo's blood, after we get this cleaned up."

Okay, Taako's commentary is what pushes it over the top. Pru frowns and turns away from what she's doing, specifically to face him and Foster. Carly seems to be on team ritual, despite her extreme demonic presence.

"Okay, seriously. Who are you two? Is there going to be a problem?" She turns to the people talking about the carnival. "Do any of you even know these guys? They weren't with us..."

Yuya stares back at Foster for a moment, pursing his lips. But pulls his gaze away to look at Damien. It isn't really the best time for him to argue with them about the Ringmaster's intentions. He just... hopes they won't try and stop the rest of them from returning home.

"I think they're with the carnival too? But is anyone looking for the Count? He just kind of melted into the floor."

And nobody's going anywhere until they get the pendant back, that much he knows. But he pulls from his pocket the small folding knife he brought along, flipping it up. At least with the fire and other supernatural abilities, and so many people, cleaning up the blood isn't an issue? Someone just needs to move the other bodies.

Edited 2017-07-29 00:17 (UTC)

"Just a little cut," Damien prompts, as if this is just another day at work. "I can suck it out from there." He pulls out a wide brimmed vial.

"...With magic, not my mouth."

"Hi, yeah, I'm Taako," Taako says to Pru, "And this is Garyl--"

"Yo," responds the binicorn he's riding, in a surprisingly deep voice.

"-- and I'm not from around here, and neither is anybody else here, right?" He doesn't understand the question here, exactly; is this chick an actual native of this place? That's gonna make this complicated.

Yuya nods, pulling the blade up and sticking out his arm. He puts the blade to his arm, hesitating before he sucks in a deep breath and presses it in and down along the skin.

It's a small cut, only deep enough to let the blood drip slowly from the wound. "Okay, there,"

He absently offers the knife to Yugo... if a standard pocket knife is at all viable to breaking angel skin.

Right. She should explain. The fire doesn't fade, but Carly's voice returns to a far more typical pitch as she looks to Pru of the angelic team. ...And she is honest.

"...My name is Carly Nagisa. ...I came from another world-with almost everyone you see with us now," she adds somewhat passionately, glancing to the others. "...before we got stuck here. ....I...before I remembered everything, I came here with Anath-to remove the barrier. But Yuugo told me you would do the same...so if that's what we're doing now..."

She turns-and the fire on her arms moves, not to Foster, but around the relative circle of area they seek to use. She has power enough for this-a ring, a barrier of violet flame, and while the power could be questionable in its effectiveness against what may come for them next, the gesture is just as equally symbolic.

And she turns back to Prudence.

"It's true...some of the workers at the carnival didn't want a contract. They entered through debt...And the cost is one year and one day with us! But even with that...

"Even with that, if this barrier doesn't fall, this world dies!!" She shouts, looking back to Foster and remembering well the pleas of those at the entrance of the tunnels. And so, she looks back to Pru.

"...I'm going to do everything I can, to make sure you succeed in this...but not just for myself. Everyone here needs this barrier gone! ...whether we know it or not!"

Her shadow, for his part, seems to cringe. It is not a good sign for him after all, if his host is growing spine.

Back over by Lambert, Peridot's breath catches when Steven sidles up. Yes... She remembers enough to recall his healing abilities, enough to know that he might be the only hope for Lambert and Childermass.

More importantly for Peridot, his appearance just automatically makes her feel like everything is going to be alright. They may have barely spoken to one another for the last month, or even remembered each other in as much time, but she's just as glad as ever to see her friend.

She watches anxiously as he goes to work, and it doesn't even occur to her that she's forgotten to breathe until the pink glow happens and she let's out a shaky sigh mixed with a hysterical laugh.

"Oh thank heavens," she wheezes, shoulders sagging. "Steven... STEVEN!!!"

Peridot doesn't give a damn about his thorns, this kid is getting the most grateful Peri hug in the world. She practically tackles him, clinging for dear life.

"Thank you so much, I'm so glad you're HERE and YOU'RE OKAY AND LAMBERT IS GOING TO BE OKAY TOO--"

Buckle up for lightning speed babbling and a lot of blubbering, buddy.

The world dies?

... why... does this sound familiar? Why does this feel familiar to Taako? Why... is his head hurting now...?

His gaze drops, a hand idly moving to tangle into his hair, clutching his head. His breathing shakes slightly, just for a moment. This is...

"... so, lemme get this straight," he says finally, lifting his eyes to Carly. "If we don't go back, this whole world is basically boned anyway? Is that what you're getting at here?"

Tamaki (who at some point came back out of the crow sister to let her get back to... crow sistering) speaks up now, from where he floats near where the count once stood.

"It's true. I spoke to the earth spirit. It said it was dying, and needed help."

He gestures back at Lambert. "That's why it possessed Lam-san. He asked for its power, and it gave it to him."

A pause, and then he adds, "I didn't expect him to bleed so much though..."

"It's not boned anyway," Pru will snap, anger seizing her for perhaps the first time this entire venture. The rest of it has all been composed impatience, or other subdued negativity. The look she gives Taako is furious, however.

"Some of us live here and are fighting for something other than just a ticket somewhere more convenient. And, yes, it sounds like if we want the Earth Spirit to survive, this spell needs to go. The Circle have overstepped their bounds, and now we're the ones stuck fixing it."

She looks back to what she's doing, purifying the area.

"But it isn't a lost cause. It isn't over. It only will be if people treat it like it is."

"Exactly!" Carly shouts, apparently agreeing quite firmly with Pru. "Once this barrier is gone...that spirit can recover! The world can recover! And if you really want to come back here so bad after that, then maybe the Ringmaster will do that!" she adds, an edge of sharpness hitting her tone.

Also. On that note- "...And why would you have wanted to stay here if you thought there was no point anyway!! If the entire world is dying, and you go with it, that's even worse!"

"Yeah, no, I mean... you've got us there." Taako turns his head, just slightly, to watch Foster; he can't very well argue with that, but...

... well.

"The thing is, like... it's not just about convenience, y'know? Some of us, we've got, uh... some really good reason not to want to go back, and that maybe is a really, really big one for us."

Honestly, given what Foster has to go back to, he might honestly prefer dying along with the world.

Taako doesn't say that. It's not his place.

"Jesus," Damien says, back where he's drawing some blood from Yuuya and Yuugo, pulling red human blood and shining angel blood from their wounds in flowing bubbles, as if liquid in zero gravity. "You wouldn't think some kind of interdimensional circus would have such a hard time finding somewhere better to go. But what do I know? I'm just a wizard or something."

He finishes drawing the blood, filling the beaker. He immediately starts swirling a paintbrush inside of it to mix the two different kinds of blood together. He focuses his magic together and stomps a foot on the ground - in a circle around the area, small pillars of stone will erupt from the snow. Setting up rituals is second nature.

"None of us are planning on making you go anywhere. But, if you've really got debt to a fae... I'm kind of surprised they'd ever give you the choice. Or that they'd only ask for a year and a day..."

Sounds fake, but okay.

"No, she is quite right." It is Gongenzaka's turn to step forward-he's been keeping an eye about for anything coming, but for now? This is the best time. "The Ringmaster requests a year and a day of work, before returning them to their moment of origin. More than that... ...she in fact refuses to accept a contract without some form of proper return-I, the man Gongenzaka," he explains, "Was unable to sign for my contract when asking merely to utilize that time to train myself. It could not be signed until I requested a guarantee that I be returned to my home safely in the event of an emergency."

There is... A pause. And he looks to Damien with a bit of a frown. "....Though... ...I, the man Gongenzaka, will admit this.. ...in the time I spent there, she has occasionally misjudged our next location...significantly."

Y eah.....

As Peridot embraces him, it all seems to click into place. Peridot is his friend, he can heal, and this isn't the first time he's been through something hard like this. As he sees Lambert's breathing steady, its a release to feel like some part of him has the ability to help make things okay again. Despite everything.

He hugs her back, the tears breaking free, but happily this time.

"Peridot... I'm so glad we're back," he says, his voice wavering. Or something. He's not sure what's going on. "This has been so awful... I..." He'll cling to her for another long few moments, and he really doesn't want to let go. Be he sees Childermass's unconscious and blooded face over her shoulder, and his heart sinks with pity.

"I have to help Childermass, too. Give me a second."

He crawls over to Childermass's side, props him up in his arms, and kisses his forehead as well. It will stem the bleeding left over from all those cuts, and help deal with the strain of everything he's been dealing with. He feels awful. This has been so awful for both of them. Childermass needs to make it out of this, too.

Edited 2017-07-29 02:03 (UTC)

The arrival of some guy calling himself Jack Atlas is met with little fanfare, and Rita simply shoots him an irritated glare before resuming what she was doing. But it's not long before she glances back, seeing Lambert and Childermass still lying on the ground at the center of the circle, and decides she should do something.

Or, you know, someone else should do something. Because Rita isn't built for heavy lifting.

"Hey! You with the coffee!" He looks like he's got some muscle on him. "If you've got time to stand around like an idiot, make yourself useful and move these guys away from here!" She gestures at the unconscious bodies of Lambert and Childermass, to be extra clear.

Jack bristles at being demoted to 'you with the coffee', pursing his lips into a frown. He looks ready to argue the point, but after reconsidering the condition of the two people still lying on the ground, he decides against it.

Lambert... He needs to have a few words with him. It would be inconvenient if he died!

Instead, he'll declare, "I was getting to that!" as he sets his drinks down on the ground and stomps over to Lambert and Childermass. One at a time he scoops them up bridal style and places them out of the way, and out of the circle. He's not particularly gentle, that's not in his nature, but it could be worse.

He brushes his hands together afterwards, a job well done, and props his hands up on his hips. "There! I've forgiven your disrespect this time, but don't expect it to happen again."

"Well, none of that is going to matter if we can't track down that pendant," Rin says, putting his hands down on a shadow on the ground. "It doesn't look like the crow sisters have it, so maybe the dad made off with it?"

He watches the blood ritual that Damien is setting up, and realizes he and Blue aren't needed after all... Unless their blood doesn't work for some reason. They would have to stay close by, either way.

"Where do you think that guy got off to...?"

Peridot wants to keep on hugging and crying with Steven, but she cuts herself off and bristles when Jack approaches. Even if she logically knows that he's there to help, she's kind of in overprotective mode at the moment? And she... really doesn't appreciate the way he's stomping around being all... Loud like that.

"Hey-- Be careful with him!" she snarls warningly when Jack picks up Lambert with a bit less care than she'd like to see. She's already stressed out enough by this whole situation that some of her bat features are starting to show through, flashing sharp teeth as she huddles closer to Steven for comfort.

Foster listens, his ears flattening further back against his head the more Taako and the Angel and everyone else speaks.

The Earth spirit's death, the Severing, the Carnival... in the end, what it comes down to is a choice. A choice between himself and everyone else. It's that simple. Undo the severing, and the world will heal, and everyone can leave--everyone will leave, including him. And the disease will come back, and his brain will rot, he'll rot, and it will be exactly as though none of this ever was, because if the cost of being alive is his own miserable, sick fate, because if being alive is a disease that will devour him whole, then his own happiness is a festering wound on the body of the world, then staying alive is a form of madness, then anything as universal as death must be a blessing.

He lifts his head, eyes wet--not with grief, but with anger and hate.

"I'm not going to suffer just so everyone else can have their happy ending."

Why does he have to suffer?

Why does he have to suffer for everyone else to live?

Why--

~~Why him~~

He knows why him. He knows. He knows, and he knows he's not the kind of person who gets a happy ending. Because it's not that he doesn't care. He does. He does care. He does care and he hates them because he can't justify this any other way.

"So I'm selfish and awful. Fine. I'm not going back. I won't. If that's how it is... I'll just die. Problem solved! The world is saved. You all can go... back to your lives. Everyone wins."

Gongenzaka takes in those words, and promptly storms over with a stern frown. He doesn't make any moves, once close however. He merely stands there, looking to the bear with a firm stare. "....Foster," he finally states. "I, the man Gongenzaka, cannot pretend to know or even understand how it is you feel you will suffer-nor can I, the man Gongenzaka, claim that I would rather either option be the 'only' option. But to act as though there is truly no option at all-THAT is unforgivable!"

~~That's kind of harsh-~~

The vampire goes on-and he tries his best to look the bear in the eye. It's hard when bears are taller than people. "If you feel there is no way once we have returned...then allow those you know to help you FIND it where you cannot! There is at least one, if not more among us, who was prepared to do more than this already, was there not?" he announces, gesturing to Taako in that moment. "If they would have gone to meet death at your side...then could we not find a way to avoid the fate you think is coming, in LIFE?"

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bananaspeedrider - 2017-07-30 06:04 (UTC) - Expand

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T/W for self-harm (just in case)

all of my italics are gone OHWELL

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tw: suicidal ideation

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