⇨ THE PRINCE IS DEAD

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 178 - B1: Day 6
Where: The Carnival and sometimes on top of the Heart of Stone.
What: Now that the Prince is dead and gone, there's a lot left to sort out. As the remaining servants are liberated and those captured by the Prince are tended to, it's time for recovery and goodbyes.
Warnings: Nothing in particular.

HOME GROUND↴ At long last, it is over. The Prince is dead, and all of his stolen Names have been restored - all that's left to do is treat the wounds and move on. For the first day or two, the Ringmaster will be arranging passage for the servants that are left, all of which have remembered their names for the first time in years. The earth elemental that had been trapped and forced to serve as the Prince's manor, the Heart of Stone, is happy to help for the moment. It appreciates the Ringmaster's mercy, and is free after untold eons of imprisonment. Yet, there are plenty of aspects that are far from simple. There are still servants left mad and transformed into beasts, with no easy way to change them back. The Prince's spells outlive him, and those bearing his poison and his curses will have a difficult road ahead of them. Though most of the bestial servants have been rounded up, and a large number that had been reduced to unmoving statues returned, even the Ringmaster can't return them to normal so simply. The next week is for rest and for settling remaining affairs. If you want to bid farewell to any particular NPCs, or assure care is given where it's needed, now is the time to do it. ► A CURE: The Ringmaster will tell everyone simply - there is no simple way to undo another fae's magic. The Prince's powers were essentially on par with hers, which means that those who have been transformed to stone and those that were cursed into beasts and driven insane are not something she can trivially fix. It will take the work of the carnival and a couple weeks of treatment to shed the curse of stone, and the maddened servants are an entirely separate matter. She will do what she can, but for the most part she is arranging for the Prince's servants to be cared for elsewhere. At least for now, the Ringmaster will be animating the stone portions of people's bodies with magic, though those portions will still be a bit clumsy and numb feeling. ► THE NEW HEARTSTONE: In the absence of the prince, the Heart of Stone will be taking over the remains of the Prince's realm and preventing it from collapsing into void. As it turns out, the manor had been an earth elemental all along - a form of Wyld Fae almost on par to the Prince and Ringmaster themselves. How the Heart of Stone was enslaved is a long story presumably, but the Ringmaster considers it to be a sign of the Prince's own depravity. The Heart will be allowing visitors for the first couple days of this period through the portal, but keep in mind you are essentially just walking around on its body. At least the realm has a floor, now, instead an endless abyss surrounding it.

Comments

[moonfang]

Sure, sure...! Whatever you want to call them, they're getting my shihakushou all wet!

[once he seems done, Zangetsu disengages the hug and grabs up Suzu in his arm, cuddling her with his cheek. He does love that little doggo!!]

And damn right. You need that thing back in working order before our next stop, if you can! You never know what crazy shit the Ringmaster is going to get us into next. I have to protect Ichigo, and that's gonna be hard to do without one of my arms.

[otoko]

Auh....w-well, I, the man Gongenzaka, shall attempt to stop them, at the least then.... [Sniffle. Sniffle. Well. With the hug disengaged, he'll dry his eye, adjusting himself somewhat as he looks over his own stump. ] Indeed, one limb down makes things....quite difficult. ...While I, the man Gongenzaka, imagine she will have us take a 'break'.... ....it will certainly not be long before danger comes again, [He mutters.]

....Perhaps if I, the man Gongenzaka, were to ask of her some advice, regarding this....

[He...can't exactly regenerate...after all...]

[moonfang]

A "break" could mean anything, and you know it. It could be another vacation in the Summerlands... or it could be something fuckin' crazy. You know how she is. [her idea of "relaxing" might not fit theirs, not exactly. He huffs and flops on one of the pillows, folding his legs up Indian-style and placing Suzu on his lap] ... 'Specially if she keeps pissing off other Fae. I think the least she could do after offerin' y'all up on a silver platter is fix your arm. Rigged or not... there was a chance we might not win. It was a big gamble!

[betheman]

A-Auh....that is...woefully true, [He admits, some resignation in his tone.] At the very least, I, the man Gongenzaka, shall have to ask...after all, I am far from the only one who was affected so heavily by events here-if I, the man Gongenzaka, do not approach her myself, it could be some time before she makes it past those who did seek her out...

[Whether she wanted to deal with those people or not.]

................Zangetsu...

[....He thinks back to it, to the words he thought he so faintly heard as he died. ...But he does not say anything, instead nodding.] ..........I, the man Gongenzaka, am glad that you took that gamble, all the same.

[moonfang]

Yeah. No offense to the boss -- but she strikes me as kind of an airhead. Got a lot of irons in the fire, so to speak, ya know? If you don't seek her out, she'll probably forget. [it wasn't her fault. She was a flighty fae creature with a lot on her plate! It's why they have to keep her on her toes.]

[he looks up at Gon with a blink] Mm? [he listens, then closes his eyes with a small grin and a huff of laughter] ... If the roles had been reversed, if it had been me instead of you... you'd have done the same, ne? We do what we have to to survive. That is our instinct.

[otoko]

Hmmnnh....no doubt, [He agrees, sighing.] Truth be told....I, the man Gongenzaka, rather wonder if that is the exact reason for the rest of her nature; she is one who lives to entertain. ...The spirit of entertainment is in itself the spirit of the moment, is it not?

[But, that said. He can't help but smile, even if sadly.] ....If our roles had been reversed.... ...I, the man Gongenzaka, would find myself shamed, that my first 'victory' was so hollow and false.

...But you are correct, [He adds, a little stronger.] ...Perhaps not just for survival, but you are correct, that I, the man Gongenzaka, would do the same for you.

[moonfang]

Yeah! You're probably right about that. She lives in the moment... and therefore everything else just kinda doesn't matter. It can be... frustrating. [but it was an annoyance he was willing to put up with, if her word was good. Though honestly, after the whole ordeal with the Prince... he isn't sure what he thinks of fae anymore.

Zangetsu smiles himself, a warmer thing than usual. He wants to say a bunch of sappy things. That he's glad Gongenzaka is his friend. That he's the first person to ever befriend him that wasn't also part of him. Someone who wasn't just scared of him, seeing him as a burden or a beast. Granted, Zangetsu has... limited interactions with people.

But it meant a lot anyway.]

Heh. Can I read people, or can't I? [with a final pat, Zangetsu removes the snubbull from his lap and stands up, placing his remaining hand in the "pocket" slit of his hakama] So! Who's the lucky bastard you're roomin' with now, bush boy? Or are you alone in the big top?

[otoko]

Hmmm! Frustrating, perhaps.... [But well. He leaves it there. The Ringmaster's Carnival has been an experience-filled with horrible, traumatizing events, and yet....

He would not take it back. Not one moment (well maybe the vampire moment). The most he can do as Zangetsu compliments his own skill is laugh however, before it fades out into confusion.] Auh...that is....a good question, actually....

...This was once Blue Diamond's tent, but Blue Diamond, of course, has taken a leave from the Carnival.... ....I, the man Gongenzaka, have been told I shall be sharing with others, but I have yet to meet them at all..!