lostcarnival | ⇨ The Tourist Trap: WEEK 4 PT2

"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?"

Yuya's attention drifts from the blood and pillars (angel blood is weird) to Foster, and he watches him over his shoulder.

When he hears Gon's bold statements, he puts a finger up to let Damien know he needs a minute, and then steps away from the ritual area to come closer to the pair, a little behind Gongenzaka. "I don't want you to die! I don't know what's wrong, but... I don't want you hurting, and I don't want you dead. You don't really want that, do you? That's why you want to stay where you're happy."

People always wanted to be where they were happy, that's why Yuya wanted to go. It's risky to offer his hand to a bear, so he doesn't extend it all the way... but it's there. "If going back to the carnival is that bad, then let us help you. Maybe we can talk to the Ringmaster too, or maybe we can make it a better place. But you don't have to go through this alone."

He reaches out to put a hand on the bears (?) shoulder (????). He understands Foster's feelings, but he understands the others as well. Worse, now he remembers, he knows how important this is. It wasn't just important to the people of this world, it was important to the other carnival members as well. Especially those people who hadn't agreed to work at the carnival. In fact, if he thought about it, that description fit Taako and Foster to a tee. They hadn't asked for this, and yet now because of the carnival this was the position they found himself in.

He looks to Yuya, and Gongenzaka, and then to Carly. He knew this wasn't an issue the people of this world would understand. Pru and Damiens confusion and anger were warranted, even expected, but for even Carly to be so dismissive.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Of course, she did know about the earth spirit and how badly they all wanted to go home, but she didn't understand how truly afraid the identity born on this world was of that outcome. If Foster had never come here, had never known anything else, he wouldn't even be in this position. This was the carnival's fault too. "There's no need to be so cruel."

He is thankful to Gon and Yuya for offering their help, but he'd express those thoughts to them later. For now he speaks to Foster instead.

"I know you're about to do something stupid, so just save it. If she won't accept that kind of deal from you I'll do it instead."

Just don't actually do something that's going to get you killed.

"Please."

Edited 2017-07-29 05:29 (UTC)

Ah, geez. So it's become one of these scenes now, huh?

Taako sits quietly atop his steed, listening as everyone else says their piece; finally, he speaks up.

"Yeah, like... okay." A sigh as he prepares his words, leaning against Garyl's strong neck as he speaks. "Foster, you got sort of a raw deal here, I know it. Hell, I was willing to go this far over it, right? I mean, it was a little bit for me too, you know, but mostly for you."

He's lying, but he at least makes an effort to cover up just how selfish he really is.

"All I'm saying is, like, we live in a magic fairyland apparently. There's gotta be something there that can, you know, do something about your whole... situation."

The fact is, it was never a matter of cruelty to her. Or even dismissal. On one end of things, she had been the one to explain to these two about what the ritual was doing-just without the added understanding that leaving without would mean the end of everything. Beyond that...it's difficult for her to imagine wanting anything else, now. Even with how deliberately she keeps from looking to Jack, how deeply she wonders and hopes that it can be possible for the others to forget what she herself had done-the idea of just ending it all is foreign.

It is an almost Fae-like, perhaps ACTUALLY fae-like thought, but the minute there was something that seemed feasible for the Ringmaster to solve, it was easier to simply suggest that and be done with. If the Ringmaster could fix it after all, why wouldn't that be the answer? It should have been the answer, the easiest one, and as Taako talks to Foster, the initial sting of Psi's words fades.

The sting was there however, just as much as Gongenzaka's brief stiffening stance and shock-a sting that left her looking back to Psi with hurt, and confusion, as if to say and how am I being cruel?

This is hardly the time for such things. Carly steels herself, and looks away, keeping focus on the fire wall meant to bolster any defenses they may well need as they search for that stone.

Pru has no context for what kind of person Foster is, or what he's personally dealing with. What she does know, however, is that a single person can't come before the the fate of the many, no matter who they are. To her, this sounds like a bunch of in-fighting about something she's no involved with, and she refuses to let it compromise this mission.

Her, Damien and everyone they care about are the ones that will have to deal with the consequences.

Pru draws her rapier again, the holy weapons called the Hand of God. It bears about as much magical weight as the name suggests, and she approaches Foster with it, pointing its edge in his direction. It's obviously a threat, though a latent one, for the moment. Her wings extends to her sides, enlarging her presence.

"If you want to die, that part is easy. There are plenty of creatures back in that castle that would be happy to do it for you. What I can't allow is you jeopardizing the lives of so many others based on your private disputes."

"Leave this place now," she demands. "Or I'll make you leave."

"She means it, dude," Damien will comment, painting angelic symbols onto the stone pillars he made, not lending too much attention to the argument or anything surrounding it. The snow is mostly cleared away at this point, which means that he can start working on doing the lines on the stone beneath.

Here's hoping whatever's in the castle doesn't come and start mauling them before this gets finished.

"Hey now," Taako says, glancing nervously from Foster to Pru. "There's no need for all that, come on. We're just talking, alright?"

"Don't." It comes out with a growl, but it's not to Prudence. It's directed at Gongenzaka and Yuya, but also the Psionic and Taako. The message is a little different in the latter cases. Mostly Psi--he doesn't want his idea of help, doesn't want Psi to make some pointless gesture in the vain hope of inadequate mercy.

As for the first two... Psi has already beaten him to what he wants to say to Gon and Yuya, and the experience is actually a little disorienting--but with or without an outlet there, he's still angry. 'You don't know what you're talking about.' It's... disgusting. The suggestion that he hasn't tried hard enough to live, that his reasons aren't 'good enough' or his problems 'real enough' to or his reality 'bad enough'--

Then again, he could say the same thing to Taako, who gets a particularly hateful stare. As if magic were some brand new concept he'd failed to think about. As though this were a novel solution that, suggested by someone else, would suddenly bestow on him some miraculous renewal of hope. He's angrier still at Taako's attempt to interfere, like Pru isn't offering to deliver exactly what he was asking for.

Like Taako didn't know this was his other choice.

He doesn't blame the ~~demon~~ elf for abandoning him. But he won't forgive him for it, either.

Foster doesn't lift his head, but raises his eyes to stare up at Prudence, unmoving.

"You haven't even found the pendant yet," he points out coldly. "No pendant, no ritual." He 'smiles': bear jaw dropped open, lips pulled back like he's trying to grin.

"Go ahead. Put it through my eye, bury it in my heart, just don't... miss."

Prudence's glare is unflinching.

"Suit yourself," she says. "I don't miss."

She'll draw back the Hand of God, and within the moment it will have shifted into a shining bow and arrow, with the arrow already loaded and drawn. She's been expecting this since the conflict began, and so she already knows exactly how to handle it. Less than a second later, the arrow has already been let fly - straight into Foster's heart, just as requested.

It won't damage his flesh, nor will it draw blood. Instead, it will pierce his soul itself, sending a wave of shock through it that will knock him unconscious, at the very least. It's a not lethal strike, but a very deft one. Perfect for removing him from the situation.

She lowers the bow, and within that instant its become a rapier again. Her expression is impassive.

"That didn't kill him," she clarifies, blandly. "He'll recover, with some rest. Do with him what you will."

While the rest of the group has been working on preparing the ritual, and things have paused to address the conflict withing the carnival's ranks, other forces have been left behind in the castle to fight it out amongst themselves. Probably for the best, considering who all is involved - most would have seen Anath's forces back in the castle, attempting to get through, fighting with the castle avian defenders and with the angels that arrived with Prudence Jaeger. There is more that has been largely unseen to those that made it to the courtyard first.

Steam and fire begins pouring out of the entrance way to the castle, and a squad of burning fire elementals crawl out, causing the snow to sizzle and turn to water as they do. Finally, the form of Ignatius, the Conflagration, emerges, and anyone near will feel the air grow hot just from his presence.

He starts walking towards the ritual circle without a word, as if no one there is worth his words or his attention behind a mild obstacle. It looks like he might even be taking his time.

A short time after, a small fae with purple wings will emerge after him, who will be familiar to some as Nightshade, one of the Rose Queen's True Fae assassins. She looks around, a bit bemused, as if she's not sure what she was expecting. She slowly follows after Ignatius, fluttering back and forth, like she is trying to get a look at who is in the ritual circle without going there herself.

"Is that it?" she calls out to Ignatius, and possibly anybody else around, because he doesn't seem to really be listening to her. "Just the angels? Did the Crow Lord make a dash already? Ha ha! Ash and oak, it's cold out here..."

"Ahh... fuck," Damien says, but just continues marking the lines and getting the ritual ready, but faster now. Eyes forward, right? Holy shit.

Yuya jerks forward to intervene when Pru fires, but he's certainly too slow and too late. Her assuage that she didn't kill him doesn't... placate him much, but what can he do? He merely looks down at Foster with pity.

He also doesn't get the time to dwell before the Summer Court storms in.

"Oh no--" Yuya turns to run back into the ritual circle, but his iron crowbar is gone with the Count and he has nothing to fight with anyway."Why do they have to be here too?!"

There's another person arriving. Jonathan Strange follows behind Nightshade and Ignatius, a human amazingly out of place considering he's with two fae. There's a blank expression on his face as he looks around the scene, taking in the angels, the carnival members, and far too many unconscious dudes.

"It should be easy for us," he simply says, as he walks right up to Nightshade, staying oddly close. Yeah, he's not leaving her side. "The Nightrider's unconscious."

Tense drama aside since Yugo's not really good at those, the arrival of Summer Court gets his head turning too.

... And he's not familiar with any of them so the guardian is just ready to smite whoever he needs to smite before the pendant is found.

"Don't count on it!"

The feeling of a new presence in the vicinity makes the hairs on Rita's neck stand on end, and she turns sharply, eyes wide with terror. "Ignatius..." The name practically comes out in a whisper, but those around her might hear.

It's the Summer Court. The ones who defeated Rita and her friends a little over a week ago. And the fae lord who'd kept her prisoner for years, raising her as a tool for magic...

No... was that really her? With all the new memories flooding in, it's almost difficult to keep her own identity straight. Still... Rita can't forget him, or the things he's done. Eyes fixed on Ignatius, Rita slowly steps to the side, inching closer to where Steven and the two injured are. If the Summer Court's here, they might be planning on taking back their catalyst... or taking out the Winter's catalyst while he's vulnerable. She can't let that happen.

And Strange, that... damned, stupid, traitor! Of course he's here, at the worst possible time, and on the worst possible side.

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

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periphrasing - 2017-07-30 06:28 (UTC) - Expand

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tw: suicidal ideation

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suddenly a psionic

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