⇨ 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

[sworntothesword]

"Oh, okay." That means Connie doesn't have to worry about permanent body horror, even if its body horror out of a magical faerie tale land.

"Do you know that for sure? And you know people that have gone home after the year?"

Ichigo seemed to imply that was a great unknown.

[hippocarnival]

"Um... no." He shrugs. "But the Ringmaster wouldn't lie about that, so if she says it'll go away then I believe her! That's kind of a big deal for the fae."

Lying, rules, terms of contracts... but that makes them good at twisting words, and he hopes, he never has to try and outsmart one.

[sworntothesword]

"Most conventional faery myths have faeries paying homage more to word of rules rather than the spirit of them, and are constantly trying to make humans miserable through really elaborate technicalities."

[hippocarnival]

"The Ringmaster's kept her word before," he emphasizes more strongly, his expression scrunching up. "She wouldn't lie about that. She's--she's a lot nicer than other fae."

He hates to say that, because it feels like giving up on them. But the kind fae are getting quickly outnumbered and he's seen his friends go through too much pain.

He stops at the opening of a colorful tent, pulling back the tapestry and peering in. The tent seems to be in much the state it always is, mostly clean with rows and rows of clothes-filled racks.

[insidescoop]

Carly, for her part, is still busy at work-but if there's one thing that Yuuya (and Connie) are about to notice, it's that there's more than just clothes. Stacked carefully and properly right near the entrance are weapons. Swords, bows, shields...there's even a few pieces of armor, and in the meantime someone who looks almost like pure 'molten' light breaking from marble-stone feathers is rushing back and forth, pulling together some not so show-purpose clothes. There's things like bracers, grieves, tunics....

...For once, it's when she turns that she sees them, rather than when she speaks. "AH!!" Oh.

"OH!! Uhm! Yuuya!" she greets, waving. "I didn't expect to see you- Erm. ...I mean I guess I should have, since you'd need clothes too but... But isn't that something you can get from your trailer in this case?!" she adds, before realizing the boy isn't alone.

".........Oh?" Huh. ".......Who's this?"

[sworntothesword]

Connie is in awe of what she can only assume is some kind of extraplanar being, perhaps even something that was the forebearer of the modern concept of an 'angel,' but obviously much more raw and unfiltered by the agendas of priests and scholars.

And then she speaks! And its such a mundane way of speaking, the long pauses and uncertainty all too familiar to her.

"O-oh! I'm Connie Mahaswaran!" She hastily bows to this possibly cosmic entity, or more likely heavily changed carnival worker?? Can't hurt to be polite.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya smiles wryly, stuffing his hands in his pockets. At least Carly's here, that'll make this faster than digging through all the costumes and work uniforms. "Uh, she's a new member of the carnival. She needs some new clothes, is there anything that'll already fit her?"

There are, after all, an awful lot of teenagers and tiny gem people in the carnival. Something's bound to fit.

[fortuneglass]

"Connie..?" Hmmm. (Also she might as well be a cosmic entity, honestly. She sort of Ate A God...so.) Carly blinks, and looks from the girl to the other, before beaming. "Oh!~ Well that's easy enough~" she cheers, immediately bustling over in her...rather interesting dress. It used to be something reminiscent of Queen Elizabeth. Now however, it's been forcefully burned by her fire magic until it's something more like a cocktail dress.

She can still fight in this, probably. In any case. "Well, there's probably something...is there anything you want specifically though, other than something else?"

[sworntothesword]

"Oh, uh-" She has to take a momemt to recenter herself, in fact she is even confused for a moment by Carly's gesture until she looks down and remembers she's wearing a tattered gown.

"Right!" Her eyes return to the weapons, and then back to the armor that Carly is organizing.

"Do you have any... lighter, smaller armor?" Anything that wouldn't slow her down too much.

[fortuneglass]

"Plenty!" Carly announces openly. "You'll want clothes under it though-none of this is meant to be worn directly on the body," she explains. "So....do you want pants, or shorts...?"

[sworntothesword]

"Pants seem the most practical," she nodded, thinking. She started to browse through the outfits looking for something durable but loose-fitting.

She turned back suddely, her eyes wide in excitement. "And I need a sword!"

[fortuneglass]

"OOoh~ A sword?" She's on the search for pants, so don't worry about that Connie-though if she finds something before the wardrobe manager does, then good on her. That said-

"What kind? Short, broad..? Is it more non-european..?"

[sworntothesword]

"Uh, European. Single edge. Straight blade. The one I used is designed for one-handed use, but I use it in two because..." Well, because she's tiny. "It's just a little easier to handle that way."

She can use it in one hand when she's fused with Steven though!

[insidescoop]

"Easier to handle..?" She blinks, crossing her arms. "Hmmm...I guess adult size blades can be heavy, but... ...was it originally for someone tall?"

[sworntothesword]

"Very tall." She isn't sure if even world-record setting basketball players actually matched Rose Quartz for height.

Yet, surprisingly easy to handle for its size.

[insidescoop]

"Hehhhhhhh..." Erm. Hmm.

"....Maybe tell me how tall they were, in that case? If it's a sword that's at least sort of the right size, it'll be easier right?"

[sworntothesword]

"It's hard to accurately estimate... I've only seen her like, once. On a VHS. I don't need a sword that's exactly that size anyway. I only used that one because it was legendary and magical."

She changed gears to start browsing swords instead.

"I'd probably have to get used to a new one no matter what the size is, and it's probably beneficial to branch out..."

[insidescoop]

"Hmmmm....alright...." She's not entirely sure about this, but. Well, there's probably something for 'everyone', including magical giants. After all, this is a fae carnival....

"Well, I guess I can only trust your judgement then....these are all the swords I got from the Nightrunner's supplies! Nothing steel or iron, of course, but it's faerie made for the most part, so really strong~!"

[sworntothesword]

Connie moved from weapon to weapon. A large broadsword, possibly made of stone, very likely heavier than her. A smaller crystal dagger. Beautiful, but useless for her fighting style. She briefly contemplayed a bo staff and a halbred, but realized she was definitely just imagining looking cool spinning them around rather than actually using them.

"Who is night runner?" she asked, before turning back to her search. That second, her eyes fell upon an intricately etched sword though. She thought it was odd, seeing a metal one after Carly had just exlained that no iron or steel was allowed, before realizing it was actually silver.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's remained fairly quiet as Carly and Connie work out outfitting her, but he is listening. She not only knows how to fight, but used a legendary and magic sword too? It sounds like some sort of fantasy story. But then again, a lot of stuff they dealt with is like some fantasy story.

He does leans over to peer at the weapons from a comfortable distance. Won't the nightrunners need these...?

"They're the part of the carnival that's supposed to keep the rest of us safe, like the patrol. Lambert's the head of them, but..."

But he hasn't seen Lambert since that fight.

[insidescoop]

"Oooh, good eye..." Carly murmurs as Connie goes for the sword, letting Yuuya answer first. Nightrunners. Well.

"They're sort of...The outer security, you could say..! The Warden is in charge of internal security-patrolmen for the grounds, and bouncers for the audience areas," Carly explains with a nod. "...But Nightrunners are the ones who make sure our locations are safe..! Since it's an 'outside' job, most of the positions are part-time! Scouts only work when we're at a new place, normally-either going ahead of the carnival to check on the surroundings, or just going around while we have time off to make sure nothing catches us off guard..! And then if something dangerous does come up, we have mercenaries to fight for us!"

She knows all of this pretty well-what with being a former scout. "Ah.... ....Lambert though..." She swallows. "...The Nightrider-Lambert... ...He was taken by the Prince. ....Since I used to work with him before becoming the Wardrobe manager, I knew where some of the things from storage were, so I could pull them out, but...."

It's a but uncomfortable a thought.

[sworntothesword]

"I think I understand..." It seemed the carnival traveled to very strange and new places. Being a Nightrunner sounded kind of cool, actually.

She picked up the blade, heavy but easily manageable for her. She turned it over in her hands and lightly touched the designs. "Most likely carved, but possibly acid etched," she murmured.

Carly's words got her attention again, and she was immediately very concerned. "People were taken by the Prince? Who else?" She knew Steven was okay, but...

She turned to Yuuya. "Gonganzaka?"

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's attention snaps up to Connie and he stares, surprised for a moment. But then he pulls back, cringing as he looks away from her.

"Yeah. The Prince took Gongenzaka, too." It's still raw in his throat, saying it, because every time he remembers that moments he remembers how helpless he was to stop it. "He was just... doing what he thought was right, helping Lambert."

Not that it mattered. It was the same transgression, and the same punishment, and no certainty what he was doing to them right now. His need to do something claws at his heart, but he takes a deep breath and swallows it down because he needs to figure out what to do, first.

[fortuneglass]

"It was.... ....a few. ....All of them were working together, somehow, but..." Well, there isn't much else to be done. "...Right now we're trying to find a way to bargain for them back. ....It's difficult when we're still on his playing field..."

[sworntothesword]

"Steven didn't like the idea of bargaining with the Prince. What would he want?"

She had lingering memories of the Prince from her Thrall, knowledge she didn't even realize she had had, and it was slowly fading now. Just leaving a residue of unease and threat.