lostcarnival | ⇨ 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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yuzu let out a soft sigh as she made her way back to the trailer. Despite trying to get back into things, she was still worried about Reira, especially with her trying to go out and about in her state. As she did, she opened the door, noticing Reira watching a cartoon of sorts.

“...hey, Reira. Feeling better?” She asked, concerned.

She isn't much of a fan of this cartoon, honestly. She might have been if she understood it more, of course-but frankly she is more lost than ever, so this isn't really working. Reira looks to Yuzu from the couch with what seems caught between a pout, and a miserable stare of agreement, before apparently mumbling something under her breath.

"....no," she mutters, sounding quite displeased indeed. "....still hurts a lot."

"...I know it does." Yuzu said, moving to join the younger girl. "I'm just glad you're safe now."

Gently, she tried to see if she wanted to be held.

She doesn't protest at least, so getting into a hug can happen rather easily. The girl is, as she appears, rather littered with rocks, even under the night-clothes. They're patchy and scattered-though on her left arm, a set of four gems that weren't there before are sitting as well.

...One looks practically identical to the stone from Yuzu's bracelet, actually. "....People still got hurt though," she mutters, clearly still upset. "...and they're still gone."

Yuzu does pull Reira into the hug, though she does notice the stones on her arm, including the one that resembles the one on her bracelet. Another time, perhaps?

"It's not your fault, Reira." she tried to reassure.

"...That's what everyone says," Reira whispers, frowning against the other. She closes her eyes, grimacing.

"....Why is it bad. ...If it's my fault?" she finally asks.

“Why do you think you’re at fault?” Yuzu asked. “As far as I can see, your actions were only because of the Prince.”

She shakes her head, frowning.

".......Before that. .........When I got caught outside the room. ....That was my fault."

Ohhh...

“What were you doing out in the first place?” She asked.

Ah. That's 'better', she supposes. ...But she does owe explanation, so she says what she can.

"....We had a portal-it could go to the stable, and then back to the room. ....so.... ....Since I couldn't sleep, I was going to sleep down there. ...And then before we had to eat breakfast and get ready, I could just go back through the portal," she says quietly. She doesn't want to mention Julien-she doesn't want unfair blame placed upon him, and she can see it coming. Maybe not from Yuzu, necessarily...but the risk is there.

"....Even before we could open it again though... ....the Prince sent wolves, I guess."

“A trap.” Yuzu uttered. “I’m sure all of those rooms had something like them. He had it out for us from the start I bet!”

"Ummmm..." She frowns. "...Well... ....actually, the one in the stable who got caught with me... ....recognized them as the security wolves..."

So it's less a trap and more. Well. "....Even if it was one though... ...It wouldn't have happened, if I didn't go."

Yuzu can’t help but let out a soft sigh. “Perhaps. But, I still feel the Prince had it out for us.”

"Mnhh..." ...Alright. Well. "....You're...probably right with that one, I think." She sighs.

"....He makes me think of...the kind of people at home. ...Like mom, but with more power."

Yuzu, then, begins to run her hand through Reira’s hair. “It’s alright. I’ll try to be a better big sister.”

Try not to get any fingers caught on the rose up there, Yuzu. That could...suck.

But that aside- "...how were you being a bad one..?"

⇨ SAY UNCLE

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