⇨ SAY UNCLE

[ringleaders]

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.]

Comments

[hurtcomfort]

"You're the Acquisitioner," Cole explains, as if that's obvious enough. But it's not. He knows it's not. So Cole frowns a little, as if trying to find the words before he can explain again.

"Sometimes when I help people, I need to take things. It's best if they don't see me. I can make it so."

Stealing some bread from the pantry, grabbing a handful of seed for the birds, borrowing a needle and thread from someone. He's stolen plenty of little things from people before, he can do the same here.

[atouts]

That clears enough of it up, even if Cole does have an odd way of answering his question. A thief, then.

"I see," Childermass replies after taking a moment to look him over. He doesn't really look all that sneaky, but he supposes if he can simply not be seen, that wouldn't matter. "An odd time for the Ringmaster to be hiring, but I suppose you couldn't enter here without a contract... How do you do it, then? Make it so you aren't seen?"

[hurtcomfort]

"Bound by her or bound by the Prince. I chose her. That binding is closer to being unbound." He wasn't hired: he was conscripted. Cole still maintains a deep fear of being bound to someone else's will, and it seems that the Prince might have been able to do that. He bound the skeleton. He bound the bird. Who's to say he wouldn't bind Cole, even with what little protection he had?

Both of his options were terrible, so he chose the least terrible. The one where he could help the most.

But as for Childermass's question, Cole shrugs. "It's easy to do it. People don't look at me in the first place. Not unless I want them to."

[atouts]

Well, that he has an idea about, from both spell and just life in general. People don't see a servant unless they need them or the servant rudely shoves their way into their attention (the latter applies far more to Childermass than society cares to accept and yet...).

"It's a useful skill to have, isn't it?" And now isn't really the time to ask Cole to go steal something as proof, either. He'll do his best to offer a faint smile -- if a tired, grim one -- and add, "And it was the better choice, I assure you. Her contracts are meant to end."

[hurtcomfort]

Childermass's thoughts just raise more questions. He was a servant? When was that? What's an England? Cole can't help but frown a little as if deciding what to say before deciding that at least for now, he wouldn't say anything. Now isn't really the time to ask Childermass about his past, either.

But Childermass is right. The Ringmaster is a better choice. "People aren't scared of her," Cole responds, with a little nod. Well, um, actually, time to rephrase that. "People aren't as scared of her."

There we go. That fits better.

[atouts]

Good correction. Childermass can agree with that, nodding slightly and, thankfully, entirely unaware of all the questions Cole has that he'll never recall mentioning to the young man.

"She can be frightening, I suppose," he says, "But mostly she's either goofing off, making bad plans, or sulking. Refreshingly human." Compared to the other fae he's met, anyway. "Now, you seem to have known me before ever meeting, but I you're the only one with that advantage, Mister...?"

Name, Cole. He's not going to just name you 'weird hat kid' and go from there.

[hurtcomfort]

There's an awkward pause before the penny drops. Ohhhh, Childermass wants his name. That makes sense. He was obviously pausing for something.

"You can call me Cole," he answers. "And I don't know you. At least, not yet."

Perhaps he could know Childermass, though. Childermass was smart. Childermass knew things.

[atouts]

One awkward pause later has him wondering if he will ever get a normal employee, but no, probably not.

"You knew enough to know who I was, Cole," Childermass refutes, as that's just enough to count as far as he's concerned. Knowing that is a lot more then he'd expect from anyone who's fresh off the horrifying faerie manor. "Now, unless you have further questions, I am afraid I must ask you to let our rabbit friend know she will have to wait and hope. The Ringmaster is still willing to save whoever she can, but how exactly has yet to be worked out..."

[hurtcomfort]

Childermass is stuck with all the freaky employees forever.

And Cole has plenty of questions. But he knows now isn't the time nor the place. So instead, he frowns for a moment before nodding. He needs to tell the rabbit friend what he learned anyway.

"Will you watch? Tell me if you see her."

[atouts]

"Of course," Childermass can agree to that. It helps that he already knows what the fox they're seeking looks like, too, though he still doubts they'll be finding her until the Prince is handled. If he is. If they even get away. There's a lot of really big ifs right now.

[hurtcomfort]

There's far too many ifs right now. But, there's a few 'perhaps' and a few more 'maybes'. Cole lives in hope and certainly believes that they'll see the fox girl again.

Though, that's who the rabbit girl wants to see again. As Cole looks at Childermass, diving into his fears and worries, he finds that Childermass is fretting about someone else entirely.

"They'll find a way to save the rest, you know. You'll see him again."

[atouts]

Something which catches Childermass entirely off-guard, seeing how he hasn't mentioned missing anyone at all, not really. So Cole gets a confused look, a frown. There's only one 'him' he's actually been worrying about, but...

"I'm sure we'll see all of them again," he corrects, expanding the 'who' to all, even if he isn't even sure at all. He can pretend. It's fine. "One way or another..."

[hurtcomfort]

"She won't leave them behind unless she has to." Cole's only briefly met the Ringmaster, but the worry and the thoughts about her touch everyone's mind. As Childermass looks at him with a confused frown, Cole just looks back at Childermass, unintentionally staring down the other man.

"Besides, she likes him also."

[atouts]

"You're talking about the Nightrider," Childermass makes a guess, a guess he's pretty damn certain about. It's unfortunate, but the only other person captured he might personally worry about is Rita and Rita is definitely not a he or him.

[hurtcomfort]

"Lambert," Cole clarifies, with a nod. "Scales like stars, thoughts so loud they drown out the rest. You worry more about him than others."

It's said in a matter-of-fact tone, Cole pointing out the obvious. Because Childermass does. It's silly to ignore it.

[atouts]

"Somehow it doesn't surprise me that even his thoughts are shouting," Childermass says with at least a little amusement, but that's where it ends. That gave him enough information to figure out what Cole's on about and how, but he won't take immediate offense. He's too tired to get upset and, honestly, this still isn't the oddest thing he's encountered thus far with the carnival...

"Have you been reading my mind, Cole?"

[hurtcomfort]

"Why do people keep asking me that?" he mutters, with a little frown, not really connecting that people keep asking him that because he keeps reading people's minds to begin with.

"It's not like others. I don't know what you think about people, about things, about him. I just know what you feel."

[atouts]

"I can't say I find you reading my feelings any less offensive than I would my thoughts," he points out. All that actually matters is he's going on about personal things. That's the absolute worse.

"Is this going to be a problem?"

[hurtcomfort]

"It wasn't back home," Cole simply remarks. "It won't be now."

Of course, back home had people who knew. There was Solas, the Inquisitor, people who knew more about spirits and were patient with Cole's everything. He's yet to learn that might not exactly be the case here.