THE GRAND BALL↴
Heartstone Manor is a giant, spooky castle floating in the middle of a twilight filled void. It is the home of a Wyld Fae calling himself The Prince - and despite his name, he is a bestial creature crammed into a gentleman's clothing, completely obsessed with replicating the ideals of old timey human society, much like the 1800's. The Prince and his many servants all dress in a manner appropriate to to the 1500's - 1800's, and decorum and beauty are held sacred above all else. All the workers of the carnival are currently staying there, in the hope of enabling a successful diplomatic venture between the Ringmaster and the Prince. The Grand Ball is being thrown by the Prince to honour these guests, but his manner of doing this is going to come as a bit of a surprise.
THE RULES↴
- Powers are all partially nerfed for 4th Wallers. They can be used in small to moderate ways for the sake of RP and narrative flavour, but 4th Wallers shouldn’t generally be using any powers in a super disruptive manner. No using powers for fighting with NPCs (yet), causing general chaos, or otherwise making your character a burden to the Prince. If they try, they’ll find themselves unable to do so.
- Your character isn’t sure how they got here but they think they’re okay with it. Your character won’t remember how they were captured by the Prince at the start of the ball. They’re just kind of here and in formal wear, and something tells them it’s probably fine to just enjoy the ball. They are wrong.
- In-game characters won’t initially remember how they all ended up at the ball either thanks to a temporary amnesia effect, but they will be able to be concerned about the fact that other people (possibly people they know) have shown up, and the fact that those other people are probably the Prince’s captives. Weren’t they doing something else at the castle before this, though? It’s hard to remember. This is all very confusing.
- 4th Wall character who aren’t apping in were possibly never the real deal in the first place. There are a mixture of genuine captives and spooky replications created with magic – this is to provide some flexibility regarding 4th wall character’s states in game, as well to allow more than one of each character to be played. If there are multiple people playing the same character, then whichever one has an app accepted will have been the real one.
- No doubles of in game characters. (Taken list here.) No AUs, no CRAUs, and nothing else besides characters that have full source canons or are original characters/fandom OCs with no bearing on the canon plot. If you tag in with a character who breaks these rules we reserve the right to remove them.
THE SETUP: 4TH WALLERS↴
- With incredibly foggy memories of their recent past, your character will find themselves at a grand ballroom dance, filled with a mixture of normal humans and odd looking humanoids that have strange features like wings, horns, tails, fur, and the like. They have vague memories of being dressed for the occasion, but are not sure by who or why. Most disturbingly, they will find that, at first at least, they don’t really care about the details. It seems like a pleasant event, doesn’t it? Why not enjoy it.
- This effect is definitely some kind of mind control, so you can feel free to have your characters be a bit confused and conflicted about it. Ultimately, they have been charmed to participate in the dance, so they will feel like riding the wave is the best thing to do even if that wouldn’t normally be their cup of tea. If your character has resistances to some forms of mind control, they are still overruled in this circumstance.
- They may discover people they recognize (castmates) or even duplicates of themselves (somehow?), and these can all be treated as canonly occurring and played out as such. This event is canon for Lost Carnival, so it should be played seriously and respectfully – not that silly shenanigans aren’t also bound to happen.
- All characters are required to dress in formal attire appropriate to a period area – specifically anywhere from the 1500s to 1800s. The Prince prefers if people are heteronormative in their clothing choices, but if you want you can probably get away with your ladies wearing suits or men wearing dresses as long as they look presentable otherwise.
THE SETUP: MANOR GUESTS↴
- You find yourself at the Grand Ball without really remembering how you got here. The last few days are a foggy blur, and though you can remember some of the important stuff you were dealing with, it will feel less important right at the start. Of course, as the night goes on, memories of how the carnival reached this event will become more and more clear – as well as the inevitable worry and stress that comes with it.
- For most people, there will have absolutely no memory of anything that happened after the morning of Day 175. Did the boating trip ever happen? Possibly not. Even as the night progresses, they will still have no recollection of how most of Day 175 went, which is probably disturbing. The Mod has contacted those that are exceptions to this privately to tell them what they will remember.
- The people lost to the Manor’s security earlier in the week will be here too, but not as guests. In fact, all of them will be dressed in the black attire of a Heartstone Manor servant and will seem pretty okay with that fact. There are parts of them that look changed – and their dispositions are definitely one of them. How else could they possibly be working for the Prince now?
- Updates to the event situation will be posted down in this section below. People can react to these posts as the circumstances change, and may new top levels based on them. It is possible to try to sneak away from the ball, but Manor Security will be trying to hunt you down. There is no mandatory outcome planed to this event, so character decisions can and will have a major effect in where the plot goes from here.
THE ACCOMODATIONS↴
- MUSIC AND DANCING: There will be music playing the whole night, and most of it is so good you feel practically compelled to dance to it. It's possible to resist, but why would you want to do that, you party pooper?
- FOOD AND DRINK: There are circle tables set up with fine silverware, and upon sitting down you will soon have a waiter come back to ask for an order. You can request basically any European cusine and it will be made for you. You will also be given drinks, most of which are alcohol, no matter your age. Fae don't care about children.
- BALCONY STARGAZING: There are balconies that are connected to the ballroom in multiple locations that you can step out onto to get some fresh air. You'll see the courtyard of the Manor down below you, but everything beyond that is black, as if the castle is floating within a twilight void. (Because it is.) One small change is that there are stars out tonight, probably added to the sky for the occasion.
- ALL NIGHT LONG: The ball will go on far into the early morning. Or, at least, until everyone fucks it up.
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ringleaders) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
lostcarnival2017-10-13 06:00 pm
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[Well, needless to say she doesn't believe it for a second; his claim and his behavior are both wildly inconsistent with what she knows of him. Also they're in a ridiculous fae castle, so.]
[But whatever has happened has either created, or caused him to create, a scenario in which the change is barely plausible. That isn't convenient; it means she can't try to muster his internal resolve by pointing out the foggy edges of memory. Nrgh. Well, maybe she can try to leverage some inconsistencies.]
That doesn't sound like a very gentlemanly decision. Or behavior for that matter.
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[He taps the glass with the edge of his forefinger and slides it over. That serene smile doesn't go away as he lifts a brow.] My decisions are not up to me. I do as he wishes.
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[His serene smile stays affixed to his face and he'll lean over with renewed focus. The Prince said they were the enemy and he was listening. Her irritating voice only allowed that malice and disgusted hate to rise.]
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And yet your implication is that you've surrendered your free will far more than you ever did in the carnival. Is that really a 'better deal'?
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[He may never see her again and all he can think of towards her is hatred.] I have no reason to side with any of you. None of you are worth anything to me at all.
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So what changed your mind, hmm? Why the sudden anger, the sudden contempt? What inspired it? [She knows the answer, or at least is pretty sure: 'fucking magic'. But what does his own mind say?]
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[He's better off on this side or so he thinks. He may not have as much freedom but the Prince provides and he is happy to serve. He no longer wants that sense of pleasure as this is enough.]
Sudden isn't the right word. The hate was there all along. The disgust was always in the back of my mind. None of you are worth my time any longer.
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Everything you say might be true but the fact of the matter remains that I am here now under his Highness' service. No matter what you say that fact remains, doesn't it? Your arguments are pointless, Miss Ash.
You may as well stop trying. Have a drink.
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Nothing about this seems wrong to you? You're okay with it? Okay with the path your own thoughts are taking? Okay with the choices you have made?
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It does seem right. It feels right even if mild confusion takes hold. With everything he's done in the past it doesn't make sense but it feels right and his brain will keep rationalizing that.]
Not a thing seems wrong other than all of you here. Vermin should be wiped clean but he requires you all here.
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[But here, well. All she can do is hope to lodge a splinter in his mind, something to nag at him, work at his mind -- and hope the Ringmaster has a plan that doesn't involve desperation.]
Well. If that's what you believe. If that's really what you're comfortable with, after everything. If that's true to who you are.
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She'll have to try harder than actual words. Tyki's rather complex even if his needs are simple.]
I can think of nothing more satisfying than serving his Highness.
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[At his claim, though, she lets out a humorless laugh.] You don't really believe that. I only wish you recognized the fact. But we both know there's way more to you than this.
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His serene smile stays affixed to his face despite the contradictions running through his mind. She's laughing and he hates it.] Yes, there is more to me than even you know. Were my orders different you'd be dead already. I wouldn't hesitate.