lostcarnival | ⇨ SHOW'S OVER

Entry tags:

⇨ SHOW'S OVER

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Solas is already one up over Cole if he acquainted himself with the technology. Most of Cole's time in Wismuth was spent on the beach, with the seagulls, feeding them french fries.

But where she was last seen? Cole knows that place. And he thinks he can remember his way to the concert hall. "Follow me," he says, as he starts to...just straight up walk back to the entrance of the carnival. I'm sorry Solas, did you think things would wait, Cole wants to go find Lavellan right now.

Cole will see no hesitation from Solas. The sooner they get there, the better chance they had that her trail had not gone cold. And the others that were missing, but Cole is the only one of them that would be likely to care.

"Did you see a fae attack at the concert hall?" he asks, watching Cole carefully. "I treated a man who had been harmed by Nightshade."

That's a surprise to Cole. He looks visibly shocked and confused as Solas mentions the fae. "I haven't," he responds, frowning. A faerie was there? Cole honestly doesn't know what to think about that. So many people were scared of them as a whole, like prey to a predator...and if someone was harmed by one, that fear would increase.

"Who was harmed?" It's an honest, yet slightly curious, question.

"Lambert," he answers. There's no harm in the spirit knowing and if Cole knows anything about the man, he would want to know it. "He was poisoned and quick to leave when able." So he'd had very little chance to pry the man for information. Perhaps later when the man realized he needed more care to his wounds and could no longer chase after others.

"He mentioned he had been poisoned bodily this time instead of in spirit."

There are very few people in the world that Cole doesn't like. Lambert is one of them. He can't help it, he reflexively scrunches up his nose in dislike as soon as Solas mentions the man's name. He's sad that Lambert got poisoned, of course. This is Cole, he'd be sad if anything got poisoned. But man does he hate that guy. Still, a poison that affects the spirit...he can think of something like that.

"The Prince had something similar. It drove deep, stabbing the soul." A different fae, a different poison. And based on Cole's little frown, that wasn't a good time either. "I didn't feel it myself, but I watched the wounded. He was hurt then, too."

Solas sees the instant dislike. Cole could see far more of a person than anyone else. Something to ask the spirit about then. If Lambert was someone Solas needed to be wary of and he made frequent visits to the med tent, Solas should know now before it was too late.

"I got the impression he preferred to be in the middle of things," Solas remarks. He had pegged that right. "What do you think of him?"

How to phrase this nicely...Cole pauses for a moment, thinking things over, unsure of how to explain it.

"He doesn't believe he can be happy. So he lashes and leers, fueled by anger, ready to fight the world if needed." Cole's face scrunches up into a frown as he continues. "He's also very violent."

Cole's smart enough not to mention the extent of how violent. Thanks for tossing him in the ocean, Lambert, that really sucked. Besides, he knows Lambert will screw something up himself eventually.

"I will keep that in mind," he says with a nod of gratitude. Solas is more than capable of handling himself when surprises come at him, but he knows the power of having insight on his side.

"Can you tell me more of the Prince's magic?" Since Cole had already warned him of what could happen if he pried into this event with others. If the type of magic there were up against was one that penetrated a person's very essence, he can see why people would be reluctant to relive such pain.

"He changed people. They weren't themselves, sworn to serve, harsh and hating. He poisoned the bodies and the souls."

Cole didn't see any of this. All he's picked up were flashes of hurt from people's minds, watching them as he knew their personalities shifted somewhat. But what he could understand and could piece out was slightly terrifying.

"He took Sans's himself away."

Okay and now we're back to cryptic bullshit.

The more he hears of the fae, the more Solas would swear that the Evanuris had escaped from their prison. That there would be another reality with such cruelty and depravity is one he wishes they weren't facing. But he was not here to fix this world, he had his own to alter and make right.

So instead, he focuses on the unfamiliar name. He's used to Cole being cyptic, at least.

"Sans? I have not yet met him."

"He's the warden. It's his job to try and keep people safe." He's also a sentient skeleton but Cole's leaving that part out for some reason. Probably because everyone in the carnival's a little bit weird, it's best if Solas figures that out himself.

"It can't be the Prince, though," Cole points out, with a little frown. "He's dead. I think. I only heard."

Solas has noticed everyone here is... strange, to put it nicely. A walking, talking skeleton that isn't a demon will give him a start, but he'd get over it.

"I did not think it was," he clarifies. "The Ringmaster is the only fae I have met of that caliber. I want to understand their magic." For healing and his own, less-than-altruistic reasons.

That makes sense. Solas liked questions and he liked it when people could learn things. It only makes sense that he liked it when he could learn things as well. Cole nods a little, looking over at Solas.

"If not her, then there are others. People like to talk here." They talk about their magic, they talk about themselves, their lives, and so on and so forth. Cole's pretty sure that someone other than the Ringmaster could give Solas the dirt on fae magic if needed.

"She's helped some of them, so they've changed as well. I don't know which, though."

"Yes, I have learned from some of those here." With great interest. There were worlds out there with similar designs of magic and separation of it from the physical. The more he could learn of it, the more he may be able to mitigate the damage from tearing down the Veil and properly rebuild. It was time that Thedas was put right. But that was a fantasy for another time. There was far too much work to do before that would come to pass.

He raises a brow at Cole's words. He's heard as much from one such person, but they had declined to give more details. Too much pain had been tied to the event. "I have seen those that have undergone physical and magical changes. What assistance does she offer?"

"She'll make things easier. Helping those with wings fly, killing their demons and changing their fate. She doesn't choose the changes, but she assists."

What assistance she offers is simple explanation. Fae magic sticks people with changes no matter what: Cole's nug ears slightly twitch as he thinks about changes in general. The Ringmaster occasionally helped those figure out more about their changes and more about what they could do. After all, most people don't know how to reach their true potential in the first place.

"She has a greater impact on those that are brought here than I realized," he says with a shake of his head. "I doubt those brought here are done so at random."

There had to be a method to the selection. Why they were able to wander into the Carnival over all others that could have. The question was how much he wanted to pry into it. With the reward he would gain from all of this, did it truly matter why they had all been brought here? But Lavellan had arrived the same time he had. There had to be a reason.

"Most aren't," he clarifies. After all, Cole's not entirely sure where he fits in. His method of joining the carnival was so unique (kidnapped by another fae, rescued by the Ringmaster) that he wasn't really selected like the people who stumbled across the carnival were.

Still, he does fit in some way. For a place of wonder, there's so much pain. He can help here. He can make things better. So, he fits but he doesn't. Story of Cole's life, come to think of it.

"Maybe they just need to change," he murmurs, with a little shrug. "She sees something that we can't."

This is why he enjoys speaking with Cole, and other spirits. It was always a good way to gain insight and confirm suspicions he already held. As they walk, his gaze is drawn to the buildings they pass, but his attention remains focused on Cole.

"She sees a desire in us. So great that many are willing to sign away their services for a time." Likely something Cole can pick up on, if Solas could decipher the spirit's cryptic way of speaking. It would be better to pry on that when he knew the other carnival workers better, or at least those Cole spoke with more.

She sees the desire...the way of phrasing it strikes a chord in Cole's mind. That's right. She does. Why offer it in the first place?

"Fae aren't spirits," Cole states, very matter of factly. He knows this, he's learned this already. "But she sees the wants like I see the hurts. So she's like a spirit?" He's talking as he pieces this out, frown on his face as he thinks.

"Fae are more powerful than spirits," he clarifies. "Maybe she's like me, but complicated."

Could there be fae of emotion? Hell if Cole knows.

He nods in agreement. They weren't spirits as far as Solas could tell, but there was something about them that worried Solas. The Ringmaster appeared to be on their side so long as it benefitted her, but there were clearly others that abused their powers in their realms and others.

"They appear to be a mix of spirits and very powerful mages." Like some Evanuris he could mention. "We will need to watch ourselves around her and the others."

As much as he enjoys the contract he has, he's under no illusion circumstances could change abruptly.

Cole nods. "She's nice. Others like her aren't."

Yes, he's pointing out the obvious, but Solas needs to know that they have the same thoughts. The Ringmaster seemed to be helpful and caring, bringing on people and granting their wishes. Other fae weren't so nice.

"She can protect and provide while we're inside. But nothing likes to be caged."

"For a price, she can, yes." To be expected and he is parroting himself, but he doesn't want Cole left with the impression this is altruistic on the Ringmasters part. She may go above and beyond for them, but it was all for a purpose.

"Are we near where you last saw her?"

Cole nods. By now, they're standing in front of a large concert arena. However, considering the fact that there was a freak fire the day before, there's still some police officers swarming the area, taking notes and checking security footage.

Hmm. This might be a problem. Cole looks from the police officers to Solas, frowning slightly.

"She was inside. I can make them not see me. I don't think I can make them not see you."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

⇨ SHOW'S OVER

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject