⇨ SHOW'S OVER

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone who DIDN’T get caught up in CY-Ren’s music, D13-D14.
When: D13-D15
Where: Wismuth, the Carnival
What: Recovering, taking stock, and trying to figure out where to go from here.
Warnings: ? ? ?

FALLEN STARS↴ ► AFTERMATH: After the culmination of the confrontation between Noa and CY-Ren — as much as it can be called one, since it ends with the Guardian being flung off the stage — the arena returns to darkness. After a few seconds of silence, the backup lighting sputters on, but instead of music a loudspeaker begins to blare loudly: ATTENTION, FANTASIA FESTIVAL ATTENDANTS. DUE TO AN EMERGENCY, WE WILL BE EVACUATING THE VENUE. PLEASE FOLLOW STAFF DIRECTIONS AND PROCEED TO THE NEAREST EXIT. THANK YOU. The pleasant, automated woman’s voice begins to play on loop as the concertgoers, snapped out of their trance, look at each other in confusion. The Void creatures that had come out at CY-Ren’s command are nowhere to be seen now, and neither is the singer herself. Wismuth police officers, though they look as uncertain and dazed as half the audience seems to be, break up the crowd and directing them to file out of the Fantasia Festival’s exits. It’s easy enough for Carnival members to slip away, though as they go through the crowd they’ll hear the festivalgoers discussing anything but the sight of Guardian and Harbinger in combat, much less people being dragged into shadows… “Right in the middle of CY-Ren’s set, too! Aren’t they supposed to check the wiring on these things?” “I paid to go to a concert, not a fire drill! I’d better get a refund!” “They didn’t have to shut the whole place down—" In the chaos and flow of people, it’ll be hard for Carnival workers to keep track of each other, but one thing is clear: they can’t stay here. ► HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN: The would-be saboteurs and those who’ve stayed behind have a chance to meet up again once they get back to the Carnival’s grounds. However, what exactly happened back there is unclear — and the one who might have answers is still unconscious from her brief altercation with the Harbinger. Still, there’s no shortage of things to do: after all, once they get back, it’s obvious there are more than a few missing faces. ► HEADLINES: Anyone who ventures to Wismuth in the days after the festival will find something peculiar: all news about the incident at the festival has been written off as a freak fire from some faulty wiring or a potential incendiary device, which reporters say police are ‘investigating the cause of’ and which some of the more sensational news sites are already having a field day with (based on rumors and hearsay the venue may have received a bomb threat). Most entertainment sites and social media coverage of the event only include blurry clips with captions like ‘tmw you fucked up the only vid you have of cy-ren’s concert 😭fml' and generally agree that it's a pity she never got past a second song.

Comments

(frozen comment) GUARDIAN vs. HARBINGER

[ringleaders]

Midway through CY-Ren’s second song, the lights go out -- but from the way the performance goes on, it’s as though nothing was affected at all. The sound in the air is no longer amplified by speakers, but magic, and the spotlights that shine on the stage are powered by her magic as well as she weaves her magic around the crowd. The barrier around the stage continues to absorb the attacks levied against it, and CY-Ren continues to sing, weaving her spell around the crowd.

“That’s enough!” The panicked cry is almost drowned out by the noise of the song and the stadium, hardly audible except for those with ears sharp enough to listen and the attention to spare. Harder to miss, however, is the spinning, glowing sphere of pale yellow light that appears out of nowhere, launching itself at the barrier surrounding the stage and impacting it with a sound almost like a bell being struck. The force of striking the barrier is enough to make it ricochet, revealing Noa -- now in full Star Guardian form -- using her arms and leg to suspend her body in a large ring that seems to be made of that golden light.

From the point of view of anyone watching the stage, the effect is like watching tension snap across water in slow motion. Ripples form, distorting its shape as it shudders, but it’s not quite broken, not yet. With a yell, Noa throws her weight forward to send the wheel spinning to hit the barrier again.

This time, it shatters like a bubble popped, and Noa drops onto the stage. The wheel vanishes, the golden light disappearing and reforming into a long, trailing ribbon she grips tightly with both hands as she stares the Harbinger down.

All the while, CY-Ren never stops singing, a change starting to come over her as well. She reaches her fingers deep into her own chest, pulling out a long violin bow, glowing a violent shade of blue. She then draws the bow across her torsa, seeming to tear her body open and spill out a miasma of depthless void, swirling around her like singing violin strings and transforming her into an entirely new ensemble.

She doesn’t miss a beat, and the crowd can’t seem to tell the difference.

“Me and you, you and me… Why don’t we see who is better?” she purrs, gently coaxing out notes to match her backup vocals from the magical violin she’s summoned to match. “We don’t have to be one in the same thing…”

“What’s so wrong with a little competition?
I’m rising up and nailing this audition.”

With the rising swell of that stanza, she draws the bow violently across the violin, unleashing searing slashmarks of magical energy through the air, shredding everything that stands in their way. As the blasts -- from her magic and the Carnival members aiming for the stage alike -- break and shatter the stage beneath them, Guardian and Harbinger leap into the air, briefly suspended for a long, fragile moment. And then--

Then, they fight. Although there aren’t any conventional weapons involved, it’s violent, CY-Ren’s music picking up in tempo and volume while Noa dances to its beat, steps light and quick. Yet it’s obvious from the beginning why she’d been afraid of a direct confrontation, even as she flings out the ribbon to block another barrage of magic from crashing into the front row of the audience, or brings it up to avoid getting cut to pieces: she can’t catch her breath enough to do more than defend. The pace CY-Ren dictates is grueling, and all she can do is try to match it.

It isn’t enough. It’s hard to keep track of how long the strange, surreal performance goes on, but sooner rather than later, there’s a missed beat. Noa missteps, and her eyes widen as she stumbles forward, which is all the opportunity CY-Ren needs. She smirks, and her magically amplified voice echoes for everyone else to hear.

“Sorry to say, but you’re just not the right fit for the job.”

And with a contemptuous flick of her fingers, a blast of discordant music slams into Noa and hurls her off the stage to crash into sound equipment.

With that, CY-Ren is gone.

⇨ RIGHT AFTER THE CONCERT (2 character limit)

[npcarnival]

The stage was never meant to hold up to any serious damage, meaning it looks distinctely worst for the wear. Pieces of it lie everywhere, and parts of it are still smoking.

Smoking, too, is the pile of sound equipment and speakers that Noa was thrown into, the golden glow that she carried with her dimming into nothing. As the seconds tick by, there’s no hint of movement there, either. For now, at least, concert staff and security are too busy herding people out to investigate.

[osteothropy]

There's a kind of tingling you feel in a situation like this - like the threat of death is close, even if it never comes. Lucky for them, it seems, those warning bells never come to pass - whether it's because of his actions or anyone else's, Sans can never be sure. It's not like he'd have any idea where to take a lost soul if he found one, anyway. Mostly, he was just busy using his magic to get anyone and everyone out of the way.

The paths of destiny aren't as clear outside of Portland, and it's been a while since he felt the pings of a fated death at all.

Anyway, Sans arrives on top of the pile of wreckage in record time. He's not really strong enough to lift this stuff with his hands, but he does cast some anti-gravity over the debris, which will make it easier to push out of the way.

"Hey, you dead?" He knows she's not.

[hippocarnival]

[A]

Yuya exits the stadium with the rest of the crowd, largely getting squished between proper concert goers who seem... strangely unaffected by all the commotion he's certain he witnessed. Was this part of CY-Ren's spell?

He could ask, but it's not the most important thing on his mind right now. He knows quite a few carnival members were helping the attack, and he knows at least one was kidnapped. There's a pit in his stomach, because he knows there's probably more, so immediately once he's out of the stadium he's running around and waving his hands high, trying to find as many people as he can. CY-Ren is gone, but it doesn't make him less worried that someone might slip through the cracks between then and now, and they'll lose track of someone else.

[B]

Yuya makes his way back to the carnival much the same time everyone else does. Noa was right about CY-Ren being dangerous, but that... well, it was significantly less effective and helpful than he'd expected. He doesn't want to regret helping, but there's bitterness mixed in his dejected expression as he sits by the lake, cheek propped against his hand. It doesn't exactly make him feel better, watching the water barely rippling. He's no more calm, but it's like putting his feelings in a void where nothing else pokes at his tender heart.

It's becoming a habit, but that wouldn't be the first time.

A

[fusionactuallysuitsher]

"Yuya!"

Blast it all, Yuzu felt so helpless. She could offer anything really helpful to aid in stopping CY-Ren's spell, everything went pear-shaped quickly and she got left behind. Again. She spotted Yuya's hands after escaping from the stadium and quickly making her way over to him.

"Yuya, are you alright?"

B

[puddingemote]

Tamaki hadn't gone to the concert, because he'd doubted he would be much help. Considering how gloomy those returning seem, it hadn't gone well, and Tamaki knows he wouldn't have been the one to turn the tide. He's not a fighter, after all.

He knows Yuya went, probably because Yuya is one of those people who can't help himself. He's glad to see his roommate made it back safely, at least, when he comes across him at the lake.

He walks over, hands in his pockets. He's quiet for a minute, watching the water, before finally speaking.

"Didn't go well, huh?"

A

[everybodypanic]

Jinx walks by, hands behind her head with both Shiro and Kuro staying close by. She doesn't look happy, or angry, or sad. Honestly she looks rather indifferent, or maybe even bored. Truth is she actually is annoyed.

This wasn't supposed to be how it turned out.

And what was up with people bailing like that?

Anyways, she makes it out of the stadium, noticing the flailing arms.

"Look at that. Nice to know you decided to stick around."

b

[pipers_son]

Yuya by far isn't the only one who's feeling bitter about all of this. Perhaps it's merely because of the Carnival's recent experiences with other stops, from the Matrix to Portland to now.... But he knew this would happen. Joker didn't even go, although he's certainly heard fast enough, and he knew this would happen.

And he's sure as hell not happy about it.

Much like everyone else, he does a quick search around, and Yuya will hear the sound of his wingbeats as he comes in for a landing. "Hey." Once he's firmly on the ground, he leans down to put his hand down on his shoulder. "How are ya feelin'?"

under the stage with 9S

[anti_nonsense]

[continued from here]

Unfortunately, Rita's magic perception doesn't work on video feeds; she'd have to be up there to say for sure. But just looking at the glow surrounding the stage, knowing there's nothing that could physically be generating it, there's really only one answer.

"She must be," she replies, frowning.

It's then that Noa makes her appearance, breaking the barrier and getting CY-Ren's attention. Intensely curious, Rita stares at the screen as CY-Ren uses some kind of magic to transform her clothing, but she forces herself to peel her eyes away as the fighting starts. The ceiling rattles violently as the stage absorbs a stray hit.

"We've done everything we can here. Let's go help out," Rita decides for both of them, already starting on her way to the stairs.

[dressedtothe]

Unfortunately, the lens the Ringmaster gave 9S also has the same restriction. Glancing at the screen, 9S mutters, "So much for trying not to cause a panic."

Though even with all the commotion, everyone seems to be rather placidly accepting of it. Don't they see what's going on? He would've expected some kind of reaction to all these people firing lasers in the direction of the concert?

Rita doesn't have to tell him twice; staying under the stage isn't going to do anything, especially now that Noa (and other Carnival members) have opted to completely forgo subtlety and go straight for brute force. And he's not liking that rumble out there.

9S runs with Rita as they make their way out. "Roger that."

Except that's also when CY-Ren's brought out her own magic to retaliate against Noa. The stage groans as the metal supports are weakened from the onslaught of magic. 9S glances up worriedly as huge gouges rip open holes in the 'ceiling'.

"We better hurry. This place isn't going to last."

As soon as he says that... The centre of the stage collapses inwards, supports unable to hold the stage's shape, rubble pouring down.

i'm the poisoned, you're the cure? [closed to solas]

[whattaprick]

It's quickly evident that it's useless, trying to find any sign of CY-Ren or the people she's taken with her, and as the concert venue empties, it's obvious that they can't linger here. It's also just as quickly obvious that whatever Nightshade did to his arm, it's starting to settle in, and Lambert's not going to be any use for anything if he doesn't get that looked at. So it's with no small amount of misgiving and curses under his breath that he reluctantly heads back to the Carnival, where his first stop is the medical tent.

"I've been poisoned," is the first thing out of his mouth, as he steps inside. He's short of breath, and perspiring lightly, but he's otherwise lucid. He can feel his heartbeat trying to become erratic, but he's forcing it not to, and that takes about all the concentration he has.

Also, 'poisoned' is a bit of an understatement. His right arm is a bleeding mess, covered with bits of broken vines sticking out from under his skin and holes where they've been outright yanked out with some violence. Moving around as much as he has hasn't greatly helped matters either.

[lonesomewanderer]

Solas had heard of the concert taking place in Wismuth and had chosen to stay far, far away from it. The entire city was strange, buzzing with devices and sights he had never dreamed of before. Wandering the streets of the city gave him plenty to see and learn without adding a musical spectacle to the list of attractions. So it's unsurprising that the night of the concert he's willingly pulling duty at the med tent. He's busying himself with looking through cabinets and acquainting himself with the medicines used here. He's a mage by trade and formal medical training beyond combat first aid was outside of his scope of talents.

Outside of the tent, he can tell that the Carnival is becoming busier. His attention is drawn to the entrance of the tent by the sounds of those returning. Right in time to see an injured man amble his way in. Perhaps more than musical entertainment had happened tonight.

"Through the wonders of melody? Or did you find your own entertainment for the evening?" he asks and gestures for the man to follow him. The man looks like a mess, but he managed to bring himself here and remain upright. He pulls back the curtain surrounding an empty cot and steps to the side so Lambert can take a seat. "Do you know anything about the poison?"

closed to lambert!

[kingsroads]

As soon as Strange started hearing word that some people were missing, he knew what to do. Almost instantly, he started to scry, grabbing his basin as he checking on who was here and who was missing. Unfortunately, the scrying lasted all of two minutes as Strange discovers something important: he can't find Childermass.

Shit. He had to tell Lambert.

So, still carrying that big dumb basin, Strange does an about face to go back into the carnival to find Lambert. And find him he does: Lambert's around the Ringmaster's office tent for some reason. When he spots him, Strange's expression just shifts from worry to downright relief as he rushes up towards the other man.

"Thank God you're—" and then Strange cuts himself short as he spots the bandages on one of Lambert's arms. No, turns out he isn't okay. He bites back the urge to scowl and call Lambert an idiot (why does this man keep getting hurt?! at a pop concert even!), though Strange is still staring at those bandages with an expression that keeps shifting from annoyed to concerned. He's a nightrunner, at least get the report out before he berates Lambert. "Childermass is missing. I can't scry for him—it's coming up black for some reason."

[whattaprick]

Lambert's report to the Ringmaster is brief and to the point; something to get out of the way before he returns to the unpleasantness that is suffering Solas's tender medical attentions to figure out whatever the hell Nightshade did to him.

It's frustrating -- he wants to be out there, out looking for their people. But maybe, even with their prolonged rest on the moon -- or maybe precisely because of it, all that time spent on vacation rather than expecting another attack -- the poison feels like it hits harder than it should. Distracted by his own frustrated thoughts, the last person he expects to run into outside the Ringmaster's tent is Strange.

He opens his mouth to say something, but Strange beats him to the punch. It makes his hand, wrapped in bandages, clench reflexively before he can think not to. With it, another splotch of red blooms on what obviously looks to be a hastily-wrapped dressing, not that Lambert seems to notice.

"I know," he says, gritting his teeth. "Rita told me." And I should be out there looking for him.

shura - headlines

[exaomori]

[The day after the concert, Shura returns to Wismuth in part to search for anyone who was still missing, but also to see what the mood was after the highly anticipated concert ended so disastrously.

She overhears the gossip while waiting in line to order a frappe, or she sees a news report while meandering around another store. Out of earshot, she'll complain to the fellow carnival member she spied out of the corner of her eye while she was peeping in on the news or gossip.]

Tch, how annoying. It's like this back home, so I'm not surprised, but it's still a pain.

[genice]

( Victor had frankly headed out because he wanted to see two things: what Noa had originally described in action, and what the shakeout was for... the rest.

Granted, he's not at ease having his roommate poof into the night of bad ideas and concert attacks, but he also has nothing much to say about a teenager he's lived with for a handful of days, if that. Still, no one should be missing: people still are.

And really, maybe he just wanted a coffee, though he'd ordered a tea that'd arrived scalded. Alas. )

Hm? ( He turned his head her way, just enough to give Shura a more than passing glance. It takes him a moment to piece together what she means, or what he thinks she means. ) The more easily digested information being public fare? Or the magic element behind it?

( Look, writing over that many memories is the ways Noa had implied is not quite how it works where he's from. )

well shit, mom's gone [closed to solas]

[hurtcomfort]

Cole didn't go to Solas right away. He lingered near the entrance, watching Noa unseen, watching people come and go as if one of them would be Lavellan. But he knows it won't be, she was there and then she wasn't, taken while he helped others, he should have paid attention to her, he shouldn't have done that (but he was compassion so he had to do that?) Only when he's certain that Lavellan isn't coming back does Cole go to find Solas.

He doesn't really make any effort to hide his footsteps, audibly shuffling into the medical tent. When Solas looks over at him, Cole is just downright distraught. His expression is a mixture of sadness and regret. It's obvious that Cole's beating himself up a lot about what happened at the concert.

"I was there with her," he says, almost under his breath. "I should have done more."

He can't do this, he can't dwell too much on this, it isn't right to focus on all the ways he failed to help...and yet, Cole can't help but do so slightly. If he had just paid more attention to Lavellan then maybe this could have turned out different.

[lonesomewanderer]

Solas has an idea of what happened at the concert. A glimpse, one person's words to weigh in his mind. That this person had seen Lavellan there and fighting at least gives him insight as to why he hasn't seen the woman around the Carnival grounds yet. Not that he sought her out, no. It was easier for them to stay apart, keep a distance from one another. He's made far too many mistakes and she is more than capable of handling herself.

When he sees Cole, he stands alert and watches as the spirit makes his way into the tent. Something's wrong. Everything about the way Cole appears screams that. Had she--?

"What happened, Cole? Tell me everything," he demands and steps closer, his attention and intense gaze fully on the spirit.

Tyki Mikk | OTA

[prazerbutterfly]

[Regrouping]

After getting a few people out Tyki made an effort to head back in as quickly as possible. He had arrived just in time to see the fight between the two women and now that the singing had stopped, it was enough of a distraction to watch Noa fail horribly. Disgust and distaste lingered on the back of his tongue as a curse left his mouth. He wasn't disappointed as much as he was sure this was going to happen. They shouldn't have gotten involved as even the Ringmaster had sounded reluctant to do so. He had even tried to warn a couple of people not to join in this foolish quest.

Now that people were making their way out as if nothing major happened, he pushed his way back in past them with a hint of his power towards the main stage. There were people up front he had spied from before. Hundreds of his Tease, his purple and black butterflies, were already escaping his hands at his will to flit into the air like beacons to anyone that knew them well enough to follow them to him. He needed to catch back up with Zangetsu, to find Childermass, Joker if he came, to assist anyone he knew that was hurt from the assault on the stage, and to get a proper headcount of anyone missing. It wasn't his job nor his concern on the latter as much as it felt like something he should do. As much as he wanted to use the Text Rings or the radio to hail those in need he knew what it was like to have that much noise throw off their location if they were taken and hiding.

"Are you alright?" he'll ask genuinely if he reaches out to someone in particular.

[Get in the car]

At some point Tyki had hired a driver with a car able to seat 3 additional people besides himself comfortably. He had already crashed three cars already in the week before the concert and the wise choice at least assisted in getting around without seeming too suspicious. It also helped in keeping up his persona he had chosen for his conman routine within this city.

He had spent some time within the concert fanfare to evacuate anyone still remaining and then made his way outside to where his driver had returned. After that, the driver was given strict instructions to leisurely drive around the city with no questions asked. In truth he's searching for anyone heading back to the carnival and whether or not they could get back quickly, had a hard time getting back, or generally seemed panicked, they'd find Tyki's car pulling up alongside them with Tyki swinging the door open wide to cut them off.

Depending on how well he knows them they might get a "Get in the car" or a teasing "Need a ride?" from him. He hates this and he'd rather be back at the carnival resting.

[Wildcard]

Catch him heading back to the carnival and at the carnival too or hit me up at plurk or discord for something else!

Get In The Car

[criticallyfucked]

Foster had actually ditched Ginko to go back to the venue once he was safe, and has spent a great deal of time picking over the wreckage and accosting anyone still around to grill them about what they saw and/or felt.

He's somewhat dishevelled-looking, even for him, but that may just be the consequence of Zangetsu's (fairly smart) decision to yank him around by the hair in lieu of any available reins. He's actually carrying a bit of the stage in one hand, looking deep in thought.

He's so distracted that Tyki's gesture almost results in a car door to the face--he stares blankly at it for a good long second before raising his eyes to Tyki himself.

He was not expecting to see him again, especially not so soon. Or like this.

He blinks very slowly, the corners of his mouth tight and dour--like he's disapproving of something.

Glances at the driver's seat.

Looks back at Tyki.

Whatever furrow there was in his brow is gone now.

"Did you put a gun to his head?" he asks, laconically.

Nui | OTA

[shearmadness]

The initial plan to kidnap and replace one of the background dancers in one of the other acts initially went well. Nui had used her life fibers to take the girl's form and voice, leaving the performer locked up in a closet unconscious. Where her plan was derailed was when she encountered the act's demanding choreographer and found herself pulled into a last minute rehearsal. It left her with very little time to be a saboteur.

At this point, she's just looking around for people. Especially those she's designed clothes for. They're hers, and she doesn't want harm to come to her models.

Two Closed Prompts, Sorry!

[criticallyfucked]

Closed to Ginko

Foster picks his way back out of the concert arena silently, making his departure long after everyone else has gone. He's got a fragment of the stage--just splintered wood and twisted metal, really--in one hand, but otherwise he's just.... well, he looks like he should be tired. His hair is more dishevelled than usual, the sherbet green butterfly clip pulled out and clipped to his belt loop so his yellow coils hang in his face. Somehow his shirt isn't torn, but he's definitely wearing the better part of a carbonated drink, whatever it might have been. It smells like it might have been grape?

He wanders the parking lot, meandering through the few remaining cars in unworried fashion, looking for a man he left behind a white pickup truck.

Closed to Syrlya

Lambert's use for him, while cosmetically simple, is anything but. It takes Foster the day before the concert, and a day again after it to really make any progress, and he goes through a few pieces of paper narrowing down what he would consider the essentials of the book he's been tasked with condensing. The book. His book.

It's his book--his--and he's divided in perfect twos between appreciation for the grace of Lambert's command and resentment for what he cannot help but feel is a violation of his purpose. A violation, yes--a devaluation--no, a insult, an invasion into what should be his, and his selfishness knows no bounds, his malicious soul, his greedy heart that wants to elevate himself above the act of enlightenment--

Or is it that he's afraid of obsolescence? Obsolescence--oblivion, worthlessness, absolute erasure. Isn't that what he already seeks, what he's hurtled towards in convulsive fits of destruction and desire? How could he be anything else?

But, as always seems to be the case when there is no clear answer to his purpose, he finds himself obeying the words spoken to him in commandment, and after several drafts in a noticeably empty trailer... he's penned something legible enough, and which contains as many of the essential details--the essential truths as a single page possibly can. It is finished.

Except that he's been ordered to run it through Syrlya first. So poor Syrlya will open his door--or perhaps come back to his trailer--and find 9 feet of centaur on his doorstep, complete with suitcases under his eyes and a flat, cold look on his face.

No, he didn't knock.

[dontpokethat]

Ginko is... pretty sure that his entire torso is just one big bruise now. His impromptu Foster-riding wasn't enough to leave any serious damage, it seems, but it still hurts.

It's not as bad as the worry of not knowing where so many people are, but there's not much that can be done about that for the moment; he wouldn't be much help back at the concert, and he was told to wait here. So here he waits, fingers curled in his shirt as he rests a hand over the worst of the bruising on his lower ribs.

He looks up when he hears Foster approach, ears lowering tentatively. He doesn't ask how it went, or if Foster found anything out. He just... looks.

Rip | OTA

[singinghuntress]

A

Well, that had been...something. Rip remained in her high vantage point, watching what happened below and then watching as the people left. She spotted a few others that were carnival mixed within the crowd, heading out.

When she had a little room, the lanky huntress slid out of her hiding spot to join the crowd to leave. If she saw anyone from the Carnival, she would wander near to check them out before shifting off. In away, Rip was stalking the crowds, checking on things as they left.

And after what she saw, she had a lot to think about.

B

Once Rip arrived back at the carnival, she wandered the grounds, thinking and avoiding others as best she could. That didn't mean she succeeded, but, she was trying. Eventually, she'd end up at her trailer...

b

[pipers_son]

The problem with wandering, of course, is running into other wanderers, and some of them can fly.

Joker isn't subtle, of course. His wings do make sound. If Rip wants to avoid him, she likely has the time. Still, he is circling a landing right to her, if that means anything at all.

Ginko | OTA

[dontpokethat]

As Ginko arrives back on the grounds, and as others who had gone to the concert return one by one, he can barely stay in one place.

He rushes through the grounds, searching among those who stayed and those who are just now returning, his ears pinned back and one hand pressed against his ribs. Every so often, he stops to catch his breath, but it's never for long before he starts moving again.

Even as his search for someone - or maybe multiple someones - goes on, he'll approach people individually as he goes, looking them over with visible concern. "Are you okay?"

[stillwinningthehardway]

Scout had been about to pass with a curt yes - she hadn't been at the concert, she's about to head back out into Wismuth proper - but she pauses, frowning as she notices his posture. "You're hurt. Let me look at that - I can numb the pain and stop any bleeding, but if it's worse than like a bruise you're going to make it worse if you can't feel it."

She doesn't work in the med tent, her powers aren't particularly advanced as far as healing goes, but she's got a little bit of skill.

it's hard to say if this is better or worse than it looks [ closed to rita ]

[whattaprick]

It's in the wee hours of the morning, now -- about as long as it took for Solas to dig the last of the seeds out of him -- but Lambert can't give in to the need to rest. The poison's nothing compared to what the Prince did to them, doesn't sap his energy the same way, but there are plenty of other reasons to be worried about it.

The sensible thought, of course, is that the sooner he clears this poison out of his system and the sooner he heals up from the trial being healed had been, the sooner he'll actually be able to do shit. Which means he's at his alchemy lab, having refused to stay in the medical tent. Besides, the shit Nightshade left with him worries him. He'd used breath and Igni to burn most of them as soon as they were out, but despite his own misgivings, he'd kept a few in a beaker. They're still damp with his own blood, and stick wetly to the bottom of the glass.

Working one-handed on alchemy, as it turns out, is a pain in the ass. His right arm's healed, but still bandaged, and while he can grab things with his hands its range of motion is stiff and limited. It means he has to focus more on what he's working on, tinkering with grinding herbs for use as an antidote.

He also isn't alone. Celandine is pacing on the edge of the table, her thankfully-healthy and not patchy fur slightly puffed out as she prowls.

"We have to find him," she says, her voice shrill and agitated. "I know," Lambert snaps back. He feels that urgency too -- her urgency is his own, but where he puts it into anger and action, she's that worried, weaker part of himself that remembers fear.

[anti_nonsense]

The door opens suddenly, with Rita stepping inside unannounced. She gives a brief start when she sees Lambert and Celandine, then lets out a short breath. "So this is where you were," she says, her tone mildly accusative despite her being the one walking in on them.

Which means that was Celandine's voice just a moment ago... Rita hadn't recognized it when she heard it from outside, but now it makes sense.

"...What are you doing?" she goes on to ask, eyes narrowed at the beaker and its strange-looking contents.

A Star Guardian in Need

[npcarnival]

A certain Star Guardian will be around for people to assist, interact with, and otherwise bother. This will be run like a regular investigation -- some prompts may turn into actual threads with the NPC, but this is mainly to make it more manageable to give information to characters who would actively seek it out, as well as give an idea of what opportunities there are to interact with her.

You must be specific about what your character is doing to find new information, and you must keep your requests to one or two actions per comment. No big laundry lists of things your character is doing - it is much easier to handle taking it one topic at a time.

---

On Day 13, Noa will be spending most of her day at the Carnival itself with her familiar, 'Constantine.' Her lack of energy seems to be a combination of low spirits and magical exhaustion rather than actual injury, now that she's been tended to. For now, she's occupying one of the empty trailers and can be found easily enough.

On Day 14-15, she'll want to leave the Carnival and return to Wismuth, both to help people who are on the lookout for the missing people and because she needs some fairly mundane things like 'a change of clothes.' When assisting with scouting efforts, she will do so in Star Guardian form -- although she'll be obviously shy about transforming in front of other people who'll actually remember her.

On Day 16, once the Harbinger attacks begin, she'll return to the Carnival looking extremely alarmed and distressed.

Once the identities for the Harbingers start becoming more general knowledge and Star Guardians start waking their powers, it also won't be too hard to find her around Wismuth at scenes of general chaos, mainly trying her best to mitigate the damage.

Day 14

[chronosynthesis]

Just like he promised, if much later, Syrlya is going to approach Noa while she's still in the carnival for a series of questions. He'll assure that aside from needing to recuse the missing carnival members, he's like to help her too, but obviously they need to work together (and she kind of owes them but he doesn't say it in those words).

First: He'll inquire about the nature of the Guardians and Harbingers. They seem to be the tangible 'conflict' between creation and void, and if she has any insight on their history or how their abilities function, he'd like to know.

Second: If pillars have been lost that means Guardians have failed, but what about permanently defeated Harbingers? Can creation tell her anything about that, how it happened or what it took?

[whattaprick]

Lambert’s rarely had a chance to be healed by a proper mage. The elf’s magic is like a balm of cool air against a fevered brow, and he takes a moment to let that seep in before he exhales and responds.

“The last time I saw her, she was fighting someone off,” Lambert confirms, frowning. “By the time I got there, she’d been taken. She wasn’t the only one.”

His expression darkens briefly at that, but he continues— “And that’s why I need to be back out there figuring out how to get them back.”