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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[Sora watches with trepidation as the figure runs toward him, confused. He'd known the carnival members were known to be reckless and stupid, but were they really careless enough to run straight at the giant megafortress? Really, they were gonna get themselves killed that way.

As they get closer, he realizes, oh, it's Doll. It could only be her, with that accent. His mind flashes to Joker, down in the dungeons, but he shakes it off. He doesn't want to hurt her, or anyone, but if she's going to try to get past him, it's Sora's duty to stop her.]

Stay back!

[He glares at her, grip tightening on the keyblade. Maybe he can just scare her off.]

Keep your voice down! [Of course his warning doesn't help when the girl runs ahead too, and Morgana looks around to try and make sure no one else has seen them yet. For now it looks like it's only this guy that she's talking to, and although Morgana isn't too sure about just charging in to talk to him, he follows after her too. These guys don't know anything about infiltrating places, it seemed, and so he has to try and keep her safe... Even if he can't actually summon his persona or anything.]

[Okay, on one hand - this is not good stealth. Like at all. On the other, Miko doesn't really have room to talk about running right up to potential threats, and she does wonder for a split second if Sora might be able to help them.

His reaction to Doll, however, answers that pretty quickly, and now Miko is getting the impression that this is... already going very badly. She hops after Doll, watching Sora suspiciously.] Hey-- Doll, watch it!

[Sora!?

Before Tamaki can say anything, Doll has already run ahead, missing his shout of, "Wait!" as she calls out to the other boy. Miko and Morgana are already running off after her, and he hurries to catch up, calling out as he does.]

Doe-chan, wait! Sorarin- Sorarin's brainwashed!

[That's more or less what he had said at the party, and Tamaki is starting to understand the full implications of what that means, seeing Sora brandish a weapon at them.]

[Doll stops in her tracks when Tamaki tells her to stop, because Sora telling her to stay back doesn't mean anything to her. Clearly it's because something is dangerous and he's trying to keep her safe, right? But she needs to get to Joker even if it is dangerous.]

[But she's been here before. Thinking someone's a friend and then they--]

[Her throat closes and she stops moving. No, this can't be right, this can't be happening again, something being between her and her dear brother who needs her help.]

Sora-- [Doll looks over her shoulder at Miko, Morgana, and Tamaki, hoping to gain support from them as she tries to figure out what's going on with Sora and the fortress and... everything.]

We're not here ta cause any trouble, alrigh'? I'm jus-- [She swallows again, holding her hands up to show she didn't have anything in them as she keeps moving forward.] --I need ta know where Joker is. Yeah? [Doll smiles right along, though she doesn't feel brave at all.] 'N Joker'll wanna know where I am too, know that I'm alright. 'M jus' tryin' ta keep everybody happy.

[Step by slow step, she's trying to get closer. What's he guarding? If anything...?]

I said stay back!

[His words are biting, but she's not wrong that he's just trying to keep her safe. If she leaves, if they all stay back, he won't have to hurt them. He has to do his job, it's true, but if he can do it without fighting, he's going to at least try.

She wants to know where Joker is. Of course she does, she's his sister, and she loves him. There's a part in the back of Sora's brain that's getting bigger every day he's under the Prince's thumb, a feral part that snaps no he's mine he's my family go away!, but he shoves it back down.]

Joker's fine. I promise, he's okay. Everyone in the dungeon is fine, so just... just go, okay?!

[His grip tightens on the Keyblade with every step Doll takes toward him.]

Just go back to the carnival. [Quieter...] I don't want to have to hurt you...

[This isn't good. Morgana takes another step closer after Doll, glad that at least the rest of the group seems to be trying to act as back up and not charge in.

He wouldn't really say that being in the dungeon is fine, but he doesn't think they should push this if they can get away, either.]

Come on, we should go. [They can at least get more back-up, or find another way that way. Not face a strong foe head on.]

[Miko's eyes stay locked on Sora, her posture tense, but her gaze flicks to the others for a moment when he speaks.]

The dungeon...? [That's something, at least. And if they back off now, go around... maybe they can find a good route there. Part of her, honestly, wants to try to get Sora back now, bring him back so they can undo whatever it is that's been done to him, but they've got a job to do here - and trying to fight Sora now runs the risk of making it so they can't do that job.]

[The dungeon. Tamaki was afraid it might be something like that.

He follows Doll a few steps behind, wanting to stay close to her but hoping he doesn't accidentally provoke Sora into attacking.]

Doe-chan, listen... maybe we can find another way in.

[The silver lining is that apparently Sora is hesitant to outright attack them-- but the confirmation that Joker is locked up in some dungeon overshadows that good fortune. The Prince has him, and given the changes the fortress has undergone and the servants as well, Doll isn't inclined to go the long way around and hope that they find a way that's not blocked by someone like Sora. They might find someone who's even more inclined to attack them on sight.]

[Doll's face goes neutral and she nods slightly, as though accepting Sora's terms. Then she turns to face the rest of the group.]

Yer right, Tamaki-- [Doll reaches behind her, unhooking the skirt of her ballgown and letting it drop, her bloomers keeping her at least covered.] --ya all need ta find another way inta this dungeon. Past 'im.

[She's the fastest, she's the most agile, she can keep him busy. That's what Doll tells herself as she charges directly at Sora, completely unarmed but determined.]

[It had taken him a while to notice they were missing, and then a while longer to track them down. Miko was the one he noticed first, she was loud and boisterous so her absence was the most noticeable. The absence of Doll was second on his list as he liked to check in with her every now and then in Joker's absence. When he went to ask Tamaki if he'd seen Doll he knew something was up, and considering the circumstances, the Psionic knew where he was likely to find him.]

[As fast of a flier as he is he still almost doesn't make it there in time. He sees Doll charging as he comes close, and without a thought he uses his psionic's to push her aside. She may get hurt in the tumble, but at least she won't meet Sora's blade. He ignores Sora, for the moment, as he lands in front of the teens. There's a purple haze that surrounds him, the color bleeding into the air, the presence of his psionics, energy pushed near the surface and ready to be used. He moves to help Doll to her feet (if she needs it).]

What are you doing?

[He knew it would come to this eventually, but he'd still been dreading it. Carnival members were stubborn. They wouldn't leave when they still had some of their own being held captive, and Sora can't really blame them for that. But he's still sad that it had to come to this.

Falling back into a more solid stance, he allows himself to look sad for only a split second before he mimics Doll and pushes forward, like a spring that's been set loose. She's fast, but so is he. The Keyblade is heavy in his hands, and he brings it forward to slash at her middle-

And then she's gone. Sora looks around in confusion, wondering what just happened, and finding Doll on the ground several feet away.

Oh. It's Psi.

Sora backs up again, readying himself. Doll probably wasn't much of a challenge to him, really, but Psi... Psi is dangerous. He doesn't say anything, just glares in the direction of his former friends, and hopes he's intimidating enough to get them to leave.]

[Well that's startling.]

[Doll had seen Sora coming, calculated when she'd have to jump to clear his weapon, and was overall so focused on that part of what was going on that she didn't see Psi coming at all. At least she hadn't leapt already, and Psi's push just sends her rolling along the ground completely perpendicular to her original trajectory. There's a moment where she just lays on the ground, trying to figure out what Sora did that had landed her there, when Psi approaches her. Even then, she really doesn't know what happened.]

[She winces as he helps her up, checking on a scraped elbow and knee from where she hit the ground, and deciding it was more or less superficial and she could stand up.]

Sora's fightin' ta keep everybody in th'dungeon, told me Joker's jus' fine but...

[But he shouldn't be in a dungeon. Doll looks up at Psi, knowing she did a reckless thing, but can he really blame her?]

... thought I could keep im busy, 'n they could go around.

[He looks to Doll as she speaks, but doesn't turn to face her. It's simply a glance, red and blue color follow his eyes like smoke follows a flame before dissipating. He says nothing to her, though, before he's looking to the others again. Despite his angry expression his tone is softer than it could be.]

Getting anyone else captured or injured is the last thing we need.

Go home. All of you.

[He stares each of them down in turn, making eye contact briefly with each of them.... Even with... The cat he guesses. He doesn't care if they listen at the exact moment or not though. He's innately aware of the aggressive anxious energy coming from Sora behind him, and as long as he is here... His empathic abilities, weak as they are, tell him exactly where Sora is. He doesn't even need to look to push Sora back and away from the group. In fact, he only turns to face his foe after he's done it.]

And you're coming with us.

Doe-chan!

[Tamaki cries out when she goes charging recklessly at Sora, taking one step to follow - but then suddenly she's pushed aside, and the Psiionic is there. He freezes as the supervisor tells them to go home, but he doesn't move yet, eyes going to Doll.]

Yeah... Let's go back for now.

[He looks over at Miko and Morgana once, before his eyes go back to Doll, holding a hand out.]

Come on.

[Doll looks at Tamaki's hand, back as Psi, and then back at his hand. Her face is very pink, she's embarrassed and frustrated and scared, and part of her wants to stay to prove... something. That she can do it? That she cares enough about Joker to not mind being hurt while trying to save him? That she, as somebody who loves Joker, should be there?]

[Go home, Dolly. You were always a precious princess, not a fighter.]

[She squeezes her eyes shut and limps back towards Tamaki.]

If you don' get 'im-- I'm comin' back!! [Her voice cracks even as she shouts at Psi, and by the time she's holding Tamaki's hand the tears are coming down her cheeks. She's walking away without Joker, and it hurts more than anything.]

[Miko is almost relieved at Psi's arrival - then she winces, drawing back. Aaand now they're in trouble.

She crosses her arms over her chest, clutching her upper arms with both hands as she follows behind Doll and Tamaki, risking one more glance at Psi.]

[Morgana has no idea who this guy that just flew in and saved the day is, but at least the others seem to be listening to him. That's good, since he still hasn't seen any sign of weapons or personas or anything from any of them.

That doesn't mean that he's going to head back that easily though, but he also isn't going to stick around here if a fight's going to happen. Instead he'll just see if he can follow along before sneaking away from the others to find another way in on his own. Hopefully the fight is enough of a distraction he'll be able to get in.]

[Sora's glare hardens as Psi speaks, grip tightening on the Keyblade. Who is he, anyway, that he thinks he can tell him what to do? Maybe that would fly when he worked for the Ringmaster, but that's no longer true.

He doesn't want to fight Psi, but his nonchalance makes Sora's blood boil.]

Oh yeah? You and what army are gonna make me?

[He doesn't care about the others; in fact, he hopes they leave, lest they get hurt. But Psi is gonna have to drag him back to the carnival, if that's what he wants.]

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⇨ SAY UNCLE

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