⇨ INVASION!

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone! But especially HARBINGERS!
When: S2:D16-22
Where: All over Wismuth!
What: As the Harbingers reveal themselves, those among the carnival that Creation has chosen will start to discover new powers within themselves. It's because they're magical girls, yo.
Warnings: Harbingers being assholes.

HARBINGERS OF VOID↴ On Day 16, the Harbingers begin revealing their new selves... in the form of wreaking havoc on the city! CY-Ren isn't looking for mass panic or serious structural damage - instead she wants constant annoyances and distractions, of the sort that will keep those that might be on her tail distracted from her true plans. However, when Creation is faced with the threat of twelve new Harbingers, it will have to fight in kind... ► HARBINGERS: Your job is to use your powers to create messes for other people to clean up! CY-Ren gives no specific instructions outside of a general framework... flex your powers! See what you can do. Don't destroy the city or anything, but give Creation a run for its money. She needs these civilians alive for her later plans. ► STAR GUARDIANS: Twelve members of the carnival have been chosen by Creation to fight in its name, even if they don't realize it yet. When confronted by the Harbinger's chaos, their Sparks will make themselves known in whatever form is appropriate to the character - and they will be asked if they are willing to use the power of their soul to fight the darkness. How this scene plays out can be flexible, but essentially they will find themselves faced with the question: are they willing to fight for the preservation of life? If they say yes, their Spark will emerge, and they will be able to trigger a magical girl transformation, as you do. ► CHARITY CONCERT: While everyone else is busy with the sudden rise of the Harbingers, CY-Ren's PR team is releasing a statement -- they will say that new information has revealed that there had been bomb threats made against the canceled concert, which are now being blamed for the damages. CY-Ren will make a personal statement, saying that in order to apologize for the failure of her previous performances, a new free to attend event is being planned for the near future - people who had tickets to the previous event and had to go home early get top priority!

Comments

[dressedtothe]

[Out in Wismuth]
Right, so he's a Star Guardian now, whatever that's supposed to mean. It was weird hearing a voice in his head asking him if he was willing to fight for the preservation of life. Usually that's the sort of thing he'd experience if he was hacking a machine or something, not while fighting a biological being. And he kind of likes living? So of course he said yes!

He just. Didn't think that saying yes would come with a costume change and extra powers. Fat load of good that did against Lavellan, though. He ended up having to make an escape. But at least he knows what happened to the missing people.

His appearance has changed with additional chicken feathers threaded through his hair courtesy of one (1) Jonathan Strange. But the chicken feathers are a minor problem.

It's the heels that are the issue.

Yeah, yeah, the preservation of life is important, but did the power have to come with heels? How the heck does 2B fight in them? 9S has half a mind to take off the heeled boots and go around barefoot, but apparently it's linked to his powers... or something?

"This is stupid!" he yells in frustration as he catches himself using a lamppost before he can faceplant into the pavement thanks to the heels.

Who invented this awful footwear!?

Closed to Lavellan

[dressedtothe]

9S' been looking for the missing Carnival members, as he was ordered to. It's the search that leads him to a crowded mall, one that has an open air area in the centre of it.

It seems strange, odd, illogical, that he should find one of the missing people here. But sure enough, there's no mistaking it. That's Lavellan. Sporting different clothes, but since when has a change in clothes changed a person? It certainly hadn't done much for Adam and Eve.

It's just a relief to see Lavellan in one piece.

So it's with that in mind that he approaches her, a smile on his face. "Lavellan! You're alright!"

[dirthena]

At first she doesn't respond to the voice, but when it clicks that it's someone from the Carnival, Lavellan pauses in what she's doing. The other Harbingers had all been from the Carnival, so it would make sense that one would find her first. And it's 9S -- a fellow scout. She knows him, as much as she knows anyone that wasn't from her world, so she turns her head towards him slightly.

"I've never been better," she says -- feeling that much was true. She knew what she had to do, and there was CY-Ren to lead her -- so the smile she gives him is wider and more open than perhaps 9S has ever seen on her.

[dressedtothe]

This is good. "Great!"

The smile doesn't strike him as particularly strange, though the good mood is in contrast to the last time they really got to talk. Maybe Lavellan is having a good time in Wismuth? He certainly is.

Except, there's something bugging him at the back of his mind. Every one of the Nightrunners was supposed to report in daily, and Lavellan had been reported missing. Surely she hadn't been shirking her duties all this time...?

"Sooo, where have you been all this time? People have been worried about you."

[dirthena]

If he had asked why she hadn't, he'd have at least gotten a far more honest answer than she'd admit to -- she doesn't like the idea of answering to anyone. She was First in her clan, and then Herald and Inquisitor. Her own boss, in charge of no small number of people; having to have a boss rankled at her.

As is, she simply shrugs. "I didn't think I was with the Carnival enough to be worried over," a true statement, beyond Cole and Solas. And only Cole would dare attempt something close to worry, or admit to it. But as for his question, well. That's harder to answer. "Around. In Wismuth, actually." Well, partly.

[hippocarnival]

The chicken feathers really are a lot less notable than 9S's... everything. Is Pink really his color?

It's obvious he's another Guardian. Not that Yuya needs that excuse to approach 9S, but it does add another layer of importance to them helping one another. So he approaches, of course, not immediately recognizing that 9S's heels are the problem as he grabs the lamppost for dear life.

"Uh... do you need help?"

[dressedtothe]

Pink is absolutely not his colour.

"What I need," he grumbles as he straightens, steadying himself with the lamppost, "is better footwear!" 9S blinks before he opens his mouth for another big whine. "Why don't you have to deal with this?"

Why doesn't Yuya have to deal with the same shoe problems!?

[hippocarnival]

"Um," Yuya looks up... and up, and wow those shoes really add a few inches of height on 9S.

"I don't know. I didn't really pick them?" He shrugs helplessly. They just kind of appeared on him when he had his magical girl transformation, and with no familiar to talk to he couldn't ask a lot of questions about the how's and why's. It seems like a small thing to bother Noa about, too.

He gives 9S another once over. "Those look like girl's clothes." In case he wasn't aware. "Are your shoes hard to walk in?"

[dressedtothe]

Lucky! What he'd give to be able to trade places with Yuya right now, seriously.

"I was told this sort of clothing isn't restricted to just females." That's what Taako said, before giving 9S a dress to try during the solstice. "And these shoes are hard to stand in."

[periphrasing]

"I went through something similar once, you know. Except I had to get used to walking without the extra devices attached to my feet."

'Sup, 9S. There's a weird green bat hanging upside down from the lamppost above you.

[dressedtothe]

It takes 9S a moment to locate Peridot. Oh, he recognises that bat. Bleh. He doesn't want to deal with peridot. But his general annoyance with Peridot seems rather paltry compared to the irritation he's currently directing at his heeled boots. So his next words come with far less heat directed at her than usual.

9S straightens, using the lamppost to keep himself steady. "What do you mean, you went through something similar?" Being forcibly put in clothes you wouldn't wear in a thousand years?

[periphrasing]

"I used to have these augmentation devices called limb enhancers," Peridot explains, flicking a wing in a vague gesture. "The were kind of like those shoes that you're wearing right now? Except the whole base of it was raised, rather than just the heel. My point being, speaking from experience, when you're used to walking one way it can be pretty disorienting when your whole manner of locomotion is altered like that. You probably just need to walk a lot and practice, try to get used to them."

wow DW didn't post my reply

[dressedtothe]

Limb enhancers? What's that supposed to do? 'Beef up' Peridot?

9S slowly lets go of the lamp post. He manages to stay upright with minimum wobbling! Why can't he just download the ability to fight in heels, huh?

Peridot actually has a point, and he does actually agree with her, but...

"I don't have time to practice. I need to be out there," he waves a hand, which of course throws off his balance and he stumbles, "looking for people."

[tryingnottodie]

Now probably Vicarian should be staying at the Carnival itself until he has a better understanding of what's going on and what's expected of him, but ... nope. There is another world, and it's not even Azeroth, and nobody at all is stopping him from exploring it. There's even some sort of illusory effect that'd make him look human so he could wander around with all the mortals and not be brutally murdered in the doing!

... He's chosen practicing his shapeshifting instead, because doorknobs are still absolute murder. Which means for all appearances and to nearly any other sort of senses, he's a perfectly human boy of about 12! Darkly tanned skin, curly dark hair, vividly green eyes, clothing several sizes too big and utterly ordinary surely! And he's got a whole bag of Stuff he's Managed To Find through various means that he's fully intending to bring to his new home.

Except there's a human over there wearing outfits ordinarily left to human females, as far as he's aware. And sometimes elves. ...And doesn't seem happy about it.

Vicarian weighs his options, chewing on his lower lip with one fang. On one hand ... he really shouldn't get involved. On the other it's a marvelous opportunity to practice his human skills!

"..H..hey are you okay?" Now that he's closer though, the smell isn't ..actually human. And he can't put a word to it. Nothing familiar!

[dressedtothe]

9S looks up to snap at the stranger, but the words die on his tongue before they can leave his mouth. Oh! This human looks pretty young. A Carnival member when he looks beneath the glamour, though 9S hasn't seen him around before. New, then? Either way, because the stranger is young, 9S' at least makes an effort to curb his irritation.

"I'm fine, thanks." He uses the lamppost to help steady himself. Heels are officially the worst. "You're from the Carnival, right? I haven't seen you around before."

[tryingnottodie]

That sharp look up and over makes him recoil a little bit, suddenly even less certain this was a good idea. What if suddenly everything went all pear shaped and it turned into a fight??

Well. Maybe it would be okay, this humanoid didn't look like he'd be able to chase very well at all, so running away was definitely still on the table. Emboldened by this idea, the 'human child' sidles a little closer.

"Yep! I sort of blend in." Not at all. But he'll pretend he can. "What's wrong with your shoes?" That looks really, REALLY bad to wear.

.... "I can give you mine, but it'll cost you."

Not that his shoes would even fit, 9s is considerably taller and thus probably bigger in the feet too.

[dressedtothe]

Oh no, he can't accept shoes from a human! Not that it would really work, since he gets the feeling that swapping out the shoes would be Bad. Besides, would they even fit?

"No, it's fine. You need your shoes, don't you?"

He hardly sees humans going out and about barefooted!

"Anyway, these are bad because they have heels!" 9S whines. As if the kid can't see already, he sticks his leg out so the shoe is more visible. He's hanging onto the lamp post for balance, but he still wobbles a little.

[stillwinningthehardway]

"Just keep all of your weight on your toes," Scout says, not unkindly. She's had to walk on her toenails, essentially, for months, ever since her feet changed. "Run on the balls of your feet. That'll help."

Her hair is two or three feet long now, put into a huge quantity of tiny braids that have themselves been braided into one big 'tail', with her Padawan braid in front of her ear looped so its end is tucked into the rest. Scout's outfit is not too unlike what she might wear herself, though the colors are different. Flashier than her earth tones, and baring more of her arms and legs than usual. Her long legs and the hoof-paws they end in are not at all conducive to footwear, so she just sort of has legwarmers or the equivalent of fingerless gloves.

Off to the side a bit is her dæmon, currently standing taller than Scout's hip, generally leggier and more imposing than usual. He gives 9S a much less sympathetic look.

[dressedtothe]

Keep all his weight on his toes? 9S frowns as he considers that, shifting his stance so the distribution of his weight is centred on the balls of his feet. Experimentally, he takes a few steps. It's a lot steadier than it was just a few short moments ago.

"Huh. That does easier." The annoyance leaks away in favour of grattitude. Okay, he can work with this. It's not as good as wearing his boots again, but it seems like he doesn't have a choice here. "Thanks, Scout."

He walks in a circle around her, in part to get used to this new way of walking and in part to check out Scout's new clothes.

"You look different," he observes aloud. "Was that from the Wardrobe Department?"

[stillwinningthehardway]

"It also shows off your calves more," she notes, watching him tap a circle around her. Her dæmon steers well clear, fastidiously outside of said circle. "Accentuates your gastroknemius, or... whatever an android has for those."

She really doesn't get why someone would build a droid to have such on-the-nose muscle analogues, but no one asked her.

Scout sighs. "No, no, this isn't really my style. I don't like gold and white, it's really ostentatious. I got picked too, for the same thing. I guess that means long hair."

[dressedtothe]

Accentuates his what? 9S isn't up to date on the details of the human anatomy.

"I was wondering about that. I didn't think humans could easily get a hair change."

Or that this Creation would also change physical appearances, not just the clothes. But what does he know? It's all magic to him.

"So you're a Star Guardian too, huh? Were you in the middle of fighting when it happened?"

[criticallyfucked]

"You." Foster's voice comes from behind with approximately zero warning. At least in Wismuth, he's under a glamour; unless 9S is really looking to see a nine-foot-tall manbeartaur covered in mushrooms, he won't.

He will still see the dried blood crusted to Foster's cheek, however, and the deep bruising left around his eye from Herbert's assault. But whether he's a massive taur or a 5'9" underwhelming disgrace of a man, he's right in 9S' space, an impassioned, too-bright shine in his eyes, only one of which is bloodshot.

"You're a Star Guardian."

[dressedtothe]

With so many people in Wismuth, it's hard for 9S' scanning to really pick up Foster's approach. After all, as far as 9S' more generalised sensors are concerned, he's the same as everyone else in the city: a living, biological being. So he jerks in surprise and whirls around.

By the time of Foster's approach, 9S' ability to stand and move around in his heels has dramatically improved compared to when he first obtained his costume change, mostly thanks to the advice Scout gave him. Good, because otherwise he probably would've stumbled and fallen flat on his ass.

Whoa, what happened to you? he almost says when he sees the dried blood. And yes, he's absolutely really looking under that glamour. "Uh, yeah. That's the title I received, apparently."

Wow Foster sure looks different compared to the last time they really talked.

"...Do you need to see the medical team for that?" It's a bit hard for him to gauge the seriousness of his injury.

[criticallyfucked]

For what, Foster almost asks, but then he pauses and reaches up to touch his face--which is deeply sore and somehow raw feeling in the eye. At least part of that is explained when his fingers brush against something crusty, and he pulls his hand away, nonplussed.

There's sticky reside on them. Blood, and something else. It's faintly yellow.

He wipes it on his shirt.

".... that was the medical team, actually," he manages to laugh. "He--Herbert--designed a cure for.... my afflictions. But he failed. He scrubbed the rot, the wretched disease clean, but he failed to rebirth what was once dead, and I have no desire to serve failure."

His pause here is brief; if anything, the circular answer has him renewed in his intensity. "But you. You serve Creation, and so must oppose the Void. Let me serve your purpose! Let me--let me serve you. Let me serve your power. Even I can do that much!"

thanks, dice

[dressedtothe]

Oh.

That's awkward. About Herbert. But he has absolutely no idea what Foster is talking about after that.

9S takes a startled step back at the sudden intensity from Foster, placing his weight incorrectly on his heels and immediately falling. His heavy android butt hits the ground with an audible 'clunk'.

Are you sure you want to be in service to this, Foster?

"Ow..." It doesn't even hurt that much. But back to the matter at hand... "Wait wait wait, hold on! I don't serve Creation." At least, that's now how he sees it. "I was created to serve mankind!"