lostcarnival | ⇨ SAY UNCLE

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⇨ SAY UNCLE

Who: Everyone who isn't in jail!
When: Day 175, 11:30PM onward.
Where: The Realm that used to contain Heartstone Manor.
What: Team carnival has gotten what they came for, but in the meantime they have lost what they came with. With his ace in the hole gone, the Prince is tearing apart the Heartstone Manor and reshaping it into an impregnable fortress to lock away his new most precious commodities - the Ringmaster's captured followers. Welcome to a hostage situation, this could take a while.
Warnings: Violence, and etc.

AFTER THE BALL↴

Around 11:30PM is when everything starts changing - and for most in Heartstone Manor, the triggers will have remained unseen. In the ongoing thunderstorm it was easy to miss, and the Prince losing control over his realm only occured before a small group of workers intent on saving the carnival from a terrible fate. An ancient High Fae artifact called the Blue Rose was stolen from the Prince, and in reaction he is being forced to abandon his plans of controlling the Ringmaster, instead trying to hide away in his realm for the purposes of saving his own skin.

His main bartering chip? The workers that he's been capturing up to this point. He knows that, unlike himself, the Ringmaster cares about mortals, and especially about the ones who follow her. He's willing to bet that she won't allow them to die for the sake of her own convenience, and he's right. Now that the Blue Rose is the carnival's, she's intent to take back what was stolen from her, as well as the lives of all the servants that the Prince has been stealing away for eons. By whatever means necessary.

► SPLIT THE EARTH: Characters all across the Manor will be treated with initial tremours that will soon escalate into a full-fledged earthquake, capable of collapsing buildings and rending the earth. The cause of this is simple: the Prince is using his powers of elemental earth to reshape his realm into something more suited to protect him. Specifically, he is changing what was a manor house into a fortress meant to defend, and allowing the rest to collapse into ruin. The Manor is still nothing but a castle floating in a void - as the earth breaks apart, it will be nothing but an endless freefall between the floating chunks of debris. Over the next twelve house that earthen debris will be reshaping and solidifying into a new layout, but having to be there while it happens is one hell of a ride!

► BREAK THE ILLUSION: It's as the world starts shaking that the last of the Prince's spell over the minds of his guests will begin to fade away. However, it may wear off more slowly than is helpful in an emergency earthquake situation. The ballroom trance may linger even as lives are threatened, and it will take a pointed effort to make sure that everyone gets out of the Manor's collapse safely. At the same time, the illusionary guests will begin to fade and disappear. The ones that remain are the ones that are real, but it may be a bit painful to realize which ones were simply a lie to begin with.

► SAVE WHO YOU CAN: Despite being knocked out by a surprisingly massive blast from the Prince's magic crystal, the Ringmaster will manage to gather herself up eventually. When she does, the last of the storm will finally come to an end. She'll be doing what she can to try to gather up both servants of the Prince and all of her workers, but it'll be impossible to get to all of them first. A large portion of the servants have undoubtedly been stolen away by the Prince into his newly built fortress, but with the effort of carnival members new and old, they can still save as many as possible. Of course, those held in the Prince's most secure prisons will remain out of reach... for now.

► WAKE THE SUN: As the worst of the earthquakes stop and the new islands of floating land begin to settle, the clouds from the thunderstorm will finally pass, as the Ringmaster seems to summon up a sun to light the realm for the first time since the carnival's arrival. In reality it's sometime in the early, early morning by the Manor's schedule, but whatever! It's easier to not die when the sun is out, don't you think? The Prince's security and gargoyle soldiers are still out and about, and they're clearly interested in capturing as many hostages as possible.

► SIGN A CONTRACT: This is when the Ringmaster will be taking those that were summoned to the Prince's ball aside to offer them contracts in order to free them from the Prince's influence. She'll do her best to explain that the only way to wipe out his control is to take on a new 'master', but they can take some time to think about it if necessary. The truth is, of course, that until they officially sign onto the Ringmaster's camp, there will still be the chance that the Prince will be able to control them.

► WALK THE RUINS: One Day 176 things will have settled completely, with the land now forming a massive fortress on the far side of several large floating islands. The ruins of the old buildings will scatter those islands, forming towers that will swiftly gain small colonies of gargoyles, ready to swoop down and attack carnival members. Further complicating matters is the fact that the rending of the landscape has resulted in bursting open the underground prisons that the Prince had been keeping his most bestial servants, which mean all kinds of mortals long since twisted into the forms of giant spiders, scorpions, monstrous beasts, and other terrifying creatures will now be running amock on the islands, desperate for food. Try not to hold it against them - they didn't ask to be this way.

► REGROUP: While the Ringmaster doesn't want everyone to just run back home (if they do that, the Prince will undoubtedly make them unable to enter again, or at least take over the landscape more fully) she will manage to open a portal back to the carnival in the afternoon of Day 176, formed between two freshly grown trees. This means that carnival members will be able to fetch new clothing, supplies, weapons, and whatever they need to prepare for the battle ahead. Right now, the chaos is still unfolding, but the battle to save the Prince's captives is still ahead.

[OOC: Gargoyles and transformed servants from the underbelly can be NPC'd from this point onward. Gargoyles are the Prince's most deadly servants made of extremely durable rock and bearing scorpion tails with venom that can turn bodies into stone. They want to grab anyone they can, trap them, and then fly them off to the Prince's dungeons as collateral. Don't let them!

Transformed servants are the beasts who were freed from the underground prison they were left in to rot. They are servants that were transformed into monsters by the Prince, and most of them have been driven insane with bestial hunger from months and years of starvation and atmospheric poison. The Ringmaster is interested in helping them, to see if there is way they can be changed back, so if you have the heart nonlethal methods are most appreciated.]

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"And I told you they were the offensive branch!!" She throws her hands in the air, but goes back to digging. "At the very least, you could assume that if I have to get swords from somewhere else when this is where props go, it's not going to be a prop..!"

Also-she pauses, looking up. "....And that's just silly. It's nightrunner because they're not supposed to be seen when they run out for the errands no one wants seen!" Like Murder.

But that's neither here nor there. "I'm the wardrobe manager...! I'm going to worry about it snagging, because if it does, then it's my fault you got in trouble! My job is to outfit everyone here, no matter the purpose-and I take that SERIOUSLY..!" she insists, frowning deeply. But, back to the clothes...

She eventually throws a t-shirt his way, plain black in colour, and manages to pull out a pair of pants. "Hmmm...not trackpants really...I think these are meant for sleeping in, but...." She holds them up-they're rather plain, at least, and go figure also black. "If they look alright, these should do the trick! They're not going to really protect much, but neither would trackpants..."

That disgruntled look Ichigo's been using on a particularly unimpressive weapon is transferred to Carly. "Yeah. The 'offensive branch'. Of a circus." The weapon is set aside as utterly useless, he'd snap it in half. It had its purpose, but didn't suit him at all. Maybe if he rode horseback and needed to slash people as he galloped past, but that wasn't about to happen. "An 'offensive branch' called 'nightrunners'. You're not really inspiring a lot of confidence here."

It sounded extra stupid, like this whole 'oh no you might snag it's the end of the world' thing, he wasn't about to go out wearing teflon weave just to avoid a snag. ".... Okay. Wardrobe manager lady. If I run into trouble, it isn't going to be because of a snag. I've been fighting in cloth for a long time, it's fine. Mobility is way more important than armor."

Well that's not always true, but most people can't tank a sword through the chest either. The dinner jacket comes off and is tossed aside and immediately forgotten about, vest and button up lacy white shirt following. They're in good shape, and probably could be re-used but if he ever sees them again it'll be WAY too soon.

Teeshirts are far more comfortable. And practical.

"'Sides." If he sounds a bit muffled blame the shirt over his head. "If this magical cat guy is so magical, armor's not going to do much anyway." Someone intends to go stab a Prince.

"An interdimensional circus..! We have to protect ourselves you know!" Anyway, she crosses her arms. "You can run into a lot of danger doing that you know! We had to go into hell once... ...The Ringmaster ate the ruler," she hums, crossing her arms as she thinks back on the incident.

And excuse her as she scowls. "Mobility and not flapping fabric around is important too..!! I'm just saying I want to find something for you that isn't going to fly around, you know! I wasn't going to hand you a suit of armor..!" Don't rile her up, even if it's too easy to do!

Pop. Hey he can see again! And the shirt fits well enough after it's tugged into place. "Been there before." Sometimes souls just had to go to Hell instead of Soul Society, that wasn't Ichigo's fault. It was however, extremely disturbing. Did that mean there were four planes, and not just three?

Eh, he'll leave that to philosopher people or something to research when he finally dies and suddenly has thousands of years to kill.

He is not however, changing pants with her right there, the sweatpants are snagged and immediately he goes looking for some convenient cover, even if it means getting around Carly to do it. "I'm usually fighting in a kosode and hakama, flappy and flying around is sort of how it goes. It's fine. If I need fashion advice I know where to go."

Unfortunately Ichigo had no real use for fashion, and while he was rather glad to not have to deal with the usual shihakusho, it did mean he didn't have the best sword ever to put to use.

All these lesser, non-Zangetsu swords were not really welcome!!

"Hehhh, seriously..? Were you just a kendo student then..?" she murmurs, staring a bit. She does, very quickly, end up scowling again. "It's not about the fashion right now..!! It's practicality..!! I've had to fight too, you know!" Also- "And you don't have to change into everything right here either..!!" she protests, now that the shirt is on. "There's a change stall in the back!!!" Fortunately, Ichigo is already looking for it but...Ah well, too late now.

"You just tug the cord in there and the curtain will close, so that you can have privacy!"

Privacy is good, because like hell pants come off around other people never mind women. There are just some things you don't do and that's one of them.

"No, I'm occasionally a shinigami, it's sort of the uniform." And he doesn't even have a choice about it, the uniform just happens on its own. And never needs washing, or repairing. Occasionally he's wondered if baby shinigami were born with tiny little unforms to wear. "If you were wearing this awful stuff you'd want out of it right away too! Cord. Cord."

Where's the cord. Oh there it is!

He vanishes from sight. What other people fight in didn't really matter much, he'd heard about people who fought wearing only blue paint and unbridled rage. He's not doing that either!

"The sort of stuff you fight in isn't necessarily going to work for anyone else. That's why I'm not saying you should fight in the same things I do."

Well. That's reasonable. Ish. "Hey, drawstring. Better than just elastic.."

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHH!?!? L-Like, an actual shinigami..!?! As in, Death!?!" Go figure, shinigami is still a pretty Big Deal Word in most forms of Japan in the multiverse-it might not bring to mind what she thinks, but it definitely brings to mind the spirit of death. So. "...Wait, death spirits have uniforms..?"

The woman shakes her head. "And I didn't have to take mine off, I just burned most of it up until it was comfortable, really..." Still. "Besides, I can fight plenty..! It's part of my job, as Supervisor! I can guarantee I've handled bigger than what you think at least..!" Also-

"Drawstrings are more comfortable, I find." Important.

There's a bit of shuffling around out of sight. "Yeah." That apparently goes for all connected questions. "There's a whole society of 'em. They do stuff. You'll find out one day." Which should be ominous but it really ISN'T, and that whole description of 'they do stuff' really isn't helping the lack of ominousness to it. "I guess you gotta look the part when doing the job."

Ichigo could really stand to be more reverent about such an institution but ...well. Not going to happen.

"It doesn't matter if you think you can fight or what you've handled before or what I think you can do." A pair of pants go soaring over the top of the curtain, to land in an undignified lump. He never wants to see those again either, but he's keeping the socks. They were okay. "What matters is actually doing it, and there's a magic fairy kitty we need to deal with and people we need to save. If you can't do it then stay back. If you can, then do it. That's all that matters."

"Wowwww..." Wait. "Ah- though, I wonder if that's really multiversal....I feel like something would have stepped in otherwise, at home..." WHERE WERE YOU, DEATH??? WHERE WERE YOU???

As it is, now she's getting properly ticked. The bounciness in her tone quickly plummets, a few flecks of violet fire coming from her shoulders. "....And how long have you been here, then? I'm not here just to hide-all of us need to get ready for this fight..! This isn't someone we can just charge head on, after all..!" There is a pause. "...Definitely not with a sword, or even fire, at least... ...from what the Ringmaster knows, he's 'Rock', and 'Poison'....we're still stuck planning things, and preparing against that, right now...." She blinks, humming a moment.

"Hmmm...this would probably be easier if one of us specialized in water..."

"Nah. Not unless dead things are trying to kill living people generally the world of the living is ... pretty much entirely ignored." Which frankly he did not approve of. And how he repeatedly has gotten into trouble before. "Everyone sticks pretty closely to the whole 'only the dead matter' thing." It was annoying.

The curtain is pushed open and Ichigo exits, now clad in teeshirt and comfy pants, it was way superior to that stuffy dress-up getup the Prince had required. "I just said if you can fight then do it, if you want to think I'm telling you to hide.."

Well, shit he ain't got time for: that.

And slicing up rocks with a sword is pretty damn easy, he just needs to find the right sword, but knowing Zangetsu is roaming around kind of complicates that. "You can prepare and think and plan and worry about elements, I've got things to do." Things like gratuitous violence. Because never once has it failed to work before.

"...Eh, you're not?" Hoooo, one can hear the awkward drop of notes in the air. Well, that. Certainly makes things a bit more awkward when it comes to this but- "H-Hold on, you better not be planning on rushing at this head on..! Faerie is different from everywhere, at least make sure you know who you're fighting..!!"

She'd assume more of him, but the fact is, with how he explained that world of living deal... "We're in a multiversal place, you know..! A place with...totally different laws of death and life! Just from what little you've said, I can tell that's the case, even..." Though that isn't really hard when they've physically visited a few 'realms of dead' as prior locations.

"..No."

He's from a place where even apparent 5 year olds kick people's asses. Proof wasn't in the bragging it was in the doing. If she could fight, then sooner or later there'd be proof. If she couldn't, then no amount of saying she could would change that either. "I know who I'm fighting. The guy who kidnapped and brainwashed me and stole my sword."

Actually that last one wasn't done by the Prince. So maybe he doesn't actually know who he's up against.

On the bright side Ichigo's well used to multiple worlds. There's three! ..Well four. .. Maybe five? The idea of this being one of them or at least some part of one of them he hadn't been to (and he's betting on Hueco Mundo) wasn't hard to accept, and for a moment his gaze slides towards the tent's entrance, expression settling into a scowl. "I know. The .. energy here is different. Anyway the 'laws' the shinigami abide by seem to be more made up on the spot than actual physical laws like gravity, so I'd expect things to not line up with what they expect."

For a shinigami he's rather disparaging of how they do things.

Well, there will definitely be proof. Later. Even if she's chewing her lip at....that description of 'I know'. She ruminates a bit on Ichigo's description as much as the other ruminates on hers, at least, and eventually sighs. And frowns. And- "Eh....wait, he stole your sword too? What kind of sword would the Prince be interested in?? He's more of a European aristocracy sort of guy...also rules," she adds, blinking. "...He really....really liked those."

This is entirely waved off. "Normally there's rules saying you can't kidnap people, brainwash them and stick a brand on their soul but here we are."

Rules clearly only matter SOMETIMES.

"...It's a nice sword." Best sword actually. "Might have gotten picked up after the ..." He frowns, digging through hazy memories of when they first got there. "..Servants took everything else I had but I doubt it."

Besides his sword is apparently part bunny now.

"Rules that were his," she corrects. "...Not rules that made sense to anyone else." Anyway. She frowns, but ponders this. "Mmmmm.... ...With everyone who was leaving, there's a chance someone may have found it then...What's it look like?

Ichigo's by now returned to trying to find a sword that matches his painfully exacting standards.

So far there's a spearish looking thing that MIGHT ACTUALLY be sort of okay. Maybe. It's waved a little, and he frowns. The weight definitely wasn't right but maybe it'd work for temporary stabbing needs. "Black. About this long. Wrapped in cloth, probably pretty heavy."

... There's something that's never occurred to him til now. Would Zangetsu weigh more to other people than him? "Anyway when we get in there to kick that guy's fuzzy ass I'm sure I'll find him."

"Hmmmmm..." Carly frowns at the description. After all.........she's. Never actually seen any blade like that. Maybe some as long, maybe some wrapped in cloth, but....not both, at least not around this place. "Hmmm. I definitely haven't seen one like that.... I can ask around though, and see if the Acquisitioner picked it up...but that's about it..." Ahhhh, well.

"You'll know as soon as we break through the fortress though! Going after him is on all of our minds at this point!"

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⇨ SAY UNCLE

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