lostcarnival | ⇨ 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

Body language was something he read well and when she slowed down he felt his usual attentiveness lacking at the fact he didn't notice her right away. That changes when he looks her over more thoroughly. Then, as if on cue, his smile will widen into a warm and comforting one when it the presence of a frightened lady. He may have no attachment for her but a wild one on the edge right now without a proper leash or control was best controlled with a small bit of kindness.

"Finally got a taste, hmm? At least you weren't kidnapped or brainwashed this time." He can't say that for others though. He knows people are missing.

This time? That made it sound like this was a common occurrence. Hands clenched in her pockets as she turned more towards him and yes, she was definitely not sure how to react to him right now, even with the warm and comforting smile.

"..Zhat vas far beyond anyzhing I haf experienced before." Which was why she was so on edge. Unfortunately she didn't have the benefit of experience with things larger than her capabilities..yet.

Rip was aware that some people had probably gone missing. In a disaster like this, how couldn't they? She just didn't know who or how many. Or whether or not she cared enough to help at this moment.

It was a common occurrence and something she would get use to sooner than later. The carnival did get the occasional break and after the Manor she did whisk them away to somewhere where they were actually on a break from everything including their jobs. It had been rather generous of her and he had been thankful for it. Right now Tyki was going to keep walking and he'll gesture for her to follow if she needs the company.

She's safe with him for now and being patrol she will have to get use to the way of things without getting caught or in trouble. She couldn't just hide forever. "Scared?" comes his serious question instead of that hint of mocking that usually comes with his speech.

He wasn't scared as much as he was sure he was not going to be rescued. It was an odd feeling and he won't talk about it. He's heading further back towards the backyard and past the normal trailers until she'll start to notice the winding trees and the fact they are getting closer to the supervisor's trailers.

With a bit of reluctance, Rip started to follow him and eventually she would notice they were heading back towards a part of the carnival in the way back, even moving past a few of the regular trailers and towards the supervisor's..

As for his question, Rip knew he was being serious and it would take her a bit to actually answer him as she tried to figure out how exactly she felt enough to put it into words. When she finally did speak again, her voice was quiet.

"...Perhaps a little. Before here.." She hesitated a moment. "Ve vere isolated for fifty years in zhe jungles of Brazil. Before zhat, ve vere in a varzone in Warsaw." Meaning, she hasn't seen conflict in quite some time despite all her training and refusal to let herself slip up in her skills. Her dedication is what made her one of the top officers in her battalion after all.

"It vas...unlike anyzhing I haf seen before und I do not like how it felt on my senses." She shook her head a bit. "It felt..wrong." That particular sense of hers she always had a hard time explaining. "Dark und wrong, even for me." Her hands clenched in her pockets again and not for the first time she wished she had a gun.

"...I'm afraid vithout a gun, I am not zhat effective of a sniper. Now am I."

He stops at the edges of the tree with a lean back against one just to obstruct himself from his view. He's just gotten back from that mess of a concert and he needs to check something. No doubt the chatter of the radios had already begun even if he was sure there would be no general announcement.

But she's patrol and he looks her over as he leans against the tree and allows souls to pop alive for him around him. She can't see them but he can. He's looking for particular ones within the supervisor grove. He sees one but not the other and it disturbs him.

"Battles and hard won fights are the basis of any good soldier. I find that mental warfare breaks them down easily." But as for her comment, "You'll find your mark eventually. Or compensate."

Rip's completely unaware of what he might be looking at even if she was staring at the trees herself. Only, for her it was to give her something to focus on and re-organize her thoughts.

He was right though, Rip wasn't prepared for mental warfare. Physically, brutality and based on skills, she could handle. Mentally? Rip was too chaotic to be strong in that department and it's probably a miracle her own senses had warned her off instead of her getting drawn in like the others. Who knew what would have happened then.

"..I zuppose you are right. I still haf fangs und ozher skills to bring to zhe party." Still, she was a little uneasy. "...I am a huntress, not just a sniper."

"Shit," is what his general response is. He had seen people being taken away and while he's sure a couple are there it is clear there are a couple that are not. He was sure he would've returned and there will be a headcount later to confirm his displeasure.

Tyki was generally fine in that department. It took a lot to brainwash him so easily. He has to be under duress for normal conditions. Against fae, he didn't stand a chance if they were quite powerful.

"Rely on what you can then otherwise you'll find yourself taken before you know it. What you can count on is everyone pulling their weight. Despite what happens this carnival always seems to prevail with minimal losses." Yet the weight of the experience after a lot were returned often came with its costs.

She turned towards Tyki once he started to speak again. At least now she seemed a little less on edge. He was right, focus on what she could do and not what she couldn't.

Whether it would be helpful however, was yet to be seen. At most, she could prowl the carnival's perimeter or take a high vantage point to make sure they weren't being approached for attack at this point.

"...I can hunt, I can track und I am good at shooting targets at a distance und keeping an eye on targets at a distance. At zhe most, I might be able to seek out und find zheres or be on lookout here." At least that was something. Though.. she really still needed to meet Sans amusingly enough.

Rip may have been avoiding that a little.

If anything he could be surprisingly gentle when he wanted to be to calm and allow people to think. It was the benefits to being a conman that he kept everything so tightly wrapped and constrained that he could fool anyone.

"The carnival looks out for its own. We'll get everyone back and if we don't we'll die trying," he says with a bountiful means of confidence. Humans had a way of overcoming obstacles almost impossible, "Put those skills to use then. Finger us those people we lost if you can. Do a good job for the Warden."

⇨ SHOW'S OVER

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