⇨ 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

[hippocarnival]

Yuya has to think about that, admitting that he can think of things that would have pained some of them... but not so much to want to end anything. He supposes they need to find a better way of reminding them why they were happy being alive before, because his attempts to far haven't gone well. He's not about to give up on them, though.

He'll ask about how her relationship with her fans was two years ago, before she became a Harbinger. Noa said it changed, but Yuya obviously didn't see anything outside the concert.

[npcarnival]

Outside her music, CY-Ren seemed to strike Noa as someone who was a little shy or awkward, and obviously wanted people to like her music. Now ... it seems like she just expects people's attention as her due, something to demand. She's gone from being a people-pleaser to a diva.

[hippocarnival]

A people pleaser to a diva, huh... that seems to get Yuya very lost in thought, though when he comes back around he apologizes quickly for spacing out.

Obviously, if the Void preys on people's pain until they can't take it anymore, something's been bothering her. He deliberates briefly before asking: When--no, why did CY-Ren's music change from being classical to what it is now?

Did someone want her to change?

[npcarnival]

Noa thinks it's probably that ... CY-Ren wanted to change herself? She says she found an old interview where CY-Ren claimed she stopped doing classical music because she didn't feel it was "hers" and was more her parents' thing.

"She said..." Noa tips her head, like she's trying to recall how CY-Ren had phrased it exactly. "That she wanted something that belonged to her."

[hippocarnival]

Yuya ruminates over that, quiet for a moment. He's trying not to make bold assumptions, but they need to put themselves in CY-Ren's position if they're going to understand her and help her.

"Maybe... maybe she felt like her family wanted her to be a certain way, instead of being true to herself. And she tried to, but it wasn't enough. And that's when the Void got to her."

He makes a bit of a face, because something still feels like it's missing to this story. Still, he looks at Noa for some confirmation on the thought. She knows just a little more than he does.

[npcarnival]

Not much more, to be honest. But at least Noa's had experience fighting her for long enough...

"She changed her music because she thought things would be different..." she tries, thinking out loud. "And when they weren't..." That gave the Void its chance.

However, even taking Yuya's reasoning as sound, there's another problem. How are they supposed to turn her from the Void with that...?

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's expression lifts, suddenly, like that's what helps things make a little sense. She tried to change first. She tried to be what she wanted to be, but it wasn't enough by that point. She wanted to be herself, but not just for self-satisfaction. If it was, would she have ever felt the need to walk in her parents footsteps?

"She wanted someone to care. Like being herself was the right choice... like it mattered. Like she mattered."

The look he fixes Noa with is a little more severe, now. "Do you think you could be CY-Ren's friend?"

He's not sure if they can reach her family, but friends can be just as important.

Not if she would, but if she's capable of it.

[npcarnival]

The question obviously catches Noa off-guard, but after a moment, her expression sobers up -- probably the most serious that Yuya's seen her in the brief time they've met.

"... She doesn't know it, but she saved me, once. I want to save her, too."

[hippocarnival]

At that, Yuya breaks into a wide grin.

"I think you will. That's why Creation picked you."

He'll explain that he wants to reach out to the rest of the Carnival. He wants everyone to help remind the Harbingers what made them happy being alive, and he wants her help with reaching CY-Ren. He believes she can do it.

He'll ask if she still has the radio on hand, or if she wants to sit with him when he calls everyone?

[npcarnival]

Noa gave the radio back after that post, but she says she and Con will stay with him when he makes the post and help however they can! If nothing else, they have something slightly different now: a lot more Star Guardians. And while Noa doesn't know anything much about breaking into places or stopping concerts ... she knows a bit about how to use a Spark.