Steven Universe (
starseedling) wrote in
lostcarnival2018-03-04 09:01 pm
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GETTING OLD NEVER BOTHERED ME ANYWAY (OPEN)
Who: Steven and OPEN.
When: Day 23
Where: Steven's new Fortress of Solitude.
What: Steven has decided to run away from his problems Princess Elsa style, and
Warnings: A teenager's existential crisis, as also possibly violence directed at you.
In the end, there was no one he could trust with this.
People from the carnival wouldn't understand. Other Harbingers... well, they were chosen for a reason, it seems like. He was just as bad, probably. He remembers vaguely how, at the start of this, he'd had the idea that maybe it would be fun. Like he could be free and in control in a way he'd never been before.
He's not, though. Lashing out isn't fun, and he isn't in control. At least, he wasn't out there, or in the penthouse. Despite all these new powers, he was still terrified of encountering the fae, and he couldn't seem to stop letting people hurt him. Maybe he wasn't strong enough for this.
So, for now, he's done. He wants to give up at giving up, and he doesn't know where that leaves him. So, he decides to hide.
From the outside, this is all very conspicuous, because it has resulted in a literal jungle of plants filling the block surrounding the supermarket he'd almost destroyed a week earlier, twisting itself into the perfect example of a nature element dungeon in an adventure video game. Vines have created a structure of caverns and crystal windows, coloured in shades of dark purple all the way to lilac. Various flows glow with an inner pink light, illuminating things from the inside.
There are no more fruit animals or vegetable pals. Instead, there is a bizarre uptick in lost and confused children in the neighbourhood - children that seem like they've appeared overnight. When spoken to, they seem to be just like any other child. The only difference is they have no idea how they got there, either.
[OOC: Steven is using his Growth Spark to reverse aging in a number of civilian interlopers that have appeared to hassle him, who now are very confused and also very physically young wandering the streets. It also means that their adult counterparts have gone missing. You can NPC anything you want regarding this, since they are just normal people who've been reserve aged into kids, and don't remember how besides that Steven was involved.]
When: Day 23
Where: Steven's new Fortress of Solitude.
What: Steven has decided to run away from his problems Princess Elsa style, and
Warnings: A teenager's existential crisis, as also possibly violence directed at you.
In the end, there was no one he could trust with this.
People from the carnival wouldn't understand. Other Harbingers... well, they were chosen for a reason, it seems like. He was just as bad, probably. He remembers vaguely how, at the start of this, he'd had the idea that maybe it would be fun. Like he could be free and in control in a way he'd never been before.
He's not, though. Lashing out isn't fun, and he isn't in control. At least, he wasn't out there, or in the penthouse. Despite all these new powers, he was still terrified of encountering the fae, and he couldn't seem to stop letting people hurt him. Maybe he wasn't strong enough for this.
So, for now, he's done. He wants to give up at giving up, and he doesn't know where that leaves him. So, he decides to hide.
From the outside, this is all very conspicuous, because it has resulted in a literal jungle of plants filling the block surrounding the supermarket he'd almost destroyed a week earlier, twisting itself into the perfect example of a nature element dungeon in an adventure video game. Vines have created a structure of caverns and crystal windows, coloured in shades of dark purple all the way to lilac. Various flows glow with an inner pink light, illuminating things from the inside.
There are no more fruit animals or vegetable pals. Instead, there is a bizarre uptick in lost and confused children in the neighbourhood - children that seem like they've appeared overnight. When spoken to, they seem to be just like any other child. The only difference is they have no idea how they got there, either.
[OOC: Steven is using his Growth Spark to reverse aging in a number of civilian interlopers that have appeared to hassle him, who now are very confused and also very physically young wandering the streets. It also means that their adult counterparts have gone missing. You can NPC anything you want regarding this, since they are just normal people who've been reserve aged into kids, and don't remember how besides that Steven was involved.]
An Idiot Arrives
Carly has been getting quite into her role, suffice to say. When she tells herself it'll be over in a matter of days, and there won't be anything left, it's easy to be the 'bad guy'. She's not even hurting anyone, really. Just causing a lot of fuss, and ruckus, and-
'W...WWwuUUUAAAAAHHH' 'AAAAaAAAAUUUU-'
And apparently her audience is not what she thought. "AAAAH-!! N-No more crying, no more crying! It's just acting~! Acting, like on TV, right~? Ahahahaaa~"
It takes a bit of fluster before the Very Evil Looking Lady calms the gaggle of children she's unintentionally terrified with her ULTIMATE MONOLOGUE-she'd been pretty sure this wasn't a kids only zone! Actually, she'd targeted this spot for the business traffic...so this was odd. (This was probably what she got for spending as much time as she could out of the Penthouse focused on doing Her Duty-CyRen Love Spell or no CyRen Love Spell, she has nothing but love for CyRen after all-)
Of course, being left to just wander from her Monologue Spot to think up a new plan meant noticing just where she was going.
"....Hahh??"
And where she's going seems to be a heck of a 'castle'. Or at least, some kind of weird plant dungeon thing. -y. "HmnnNNNnnnh..! Impressive work..." she has to note, whistling as she wanders on inside. Good structure-Love the windows, and the colours worked marvelously together for the effect, best she could tell. "Hellooooo!" she calls in, still completely in costume, and still moving across the ground with no visible feet at all. "....Is the one I think it is in heeeeereee?" she tries, grinning almost cheesily.
Plants mean Steven right..? Right..?
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Unfortunately, near-death experiences have never been enough to keep him from sticking his nose into things, particularly when there are... huge numbers of children wandering around aimlessly with no idea as to how they got where they are.
He wanders down the block, speaking to a few children, and... well, without much other idea of what to do about their situation for the moment, he just kind of ends up directing them to each other, advising them to stay together and doing his best to direct them to stick together, and... preferably move away from the mass of vines.
He, meanwhile, keeps moving deeper into the suddenly-grown jungle, because that's just the kind of person Ginko is. Even when he should really really stop while he can.
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Steven's fortress is appropriately terrifying, an imposing tower of thorns and crystalline bramble, but at least one being out there isn't fazed. And of course, that being is a cat. It's not even clear how he got in, really; did Steven leave enough room for that? Does it even matter?
Either way, there he is: a sleek black feline creature that Steven would surely remember from the penthouse, where it mostly seemed to enjoy the view from the high windows and not acknowledge much else. It's only the size of a larger house cat, but instead of a cat's tail, it has a long, shimmering peacock's tail in gradations of black and silver, and its body is covered in dozens of large glowing eyes that seem, inexplicably, to disappear when they're closed.
"Steve-man," he announces himself with a greeting.
He has a very... deep purring voice.
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There's certainly one person at least who'd realized immediately what all the plantlife had meant, although Joker has to admit that all the children around are new. He's done what little he's able to in herding them to somewhere they can wait out in relative safety, away from whatever mess might show up next. If there's one of the carnival playing at hero, well, hopefully they'll take care of that. Joker has nothing up his sleeves, and, frankly, he doesn't want to waste too much time on it anyway.
The reason he'd shown up is the reason that everything is covered in greenery, after all. At least, he feels relatively sure of that. Joker's spent a bit of time walking around the fortress, Feathers taking to the skies to see if there's any way he can get in from above, but finally the pair venture inside the jungle. Joker had meant to see if anything else wild had been happening... And, well. This is sure 'wild'.
He just hopes this doesn't mean that something worse has happened to Steven after the boy had already been in such a state... because all he has is a phone, a texting ring, a throwing knife, and his cloak.
...And, you know. Feathers.
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For the first time that day, it feels, Steven's voice sounds interested - eager, even. Like a kid who's been having a really hard day, and wants the comfort of a parent, or a close friend.
Steven appears from behind the curve of a giant vine, aesthetically taking the place of an archway. He looks confused about Joker's presence, but also like he's been crying a lot in the last few hours. His eyes are dark around the bottom, like he hasn't slept much either.
He stays partly hidden behind the doorway. He's still in his Harbinger form.
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Steven is sitting in a small garden area somewhere inside the fortress, alive with a bright assortment of flowers. There's no sunlight here, but a large crystal bloom coming from the roof seems to do the job just as well. He's still in his Harbinger form, and has been for a while.
He perks up a little at seeing a cat, for obvious cat-related reasons, but he becomes a little bit wary when he remembers where he knows the cat from. Mari.
"Are you... Mari's familiar?" he asks.
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Either way, Ginko will find himself along as he gets deeper and deeper into the foliage. Until, finally, the trees around him begin to move, like the warding limbs of a defensive animal.
"Go away!" shouts a voice he will recognize as Steven's - but older, somehow, like he's aged a few years.
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Well, don't look a gift horse in the mouth, and all that. Joker hurries forward, trying to take in everything about the younger boy. He's been crying and exhausted, but it doesn't look like he's hurt...
Best not to take chances. "Yer not hurtin' or anythin', are ya? I mean, physically." Everyone in this mess is very clearly messed up in other ways.
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The way he says that sounds pretty foreboding, but Steven doesn't remark on it. He stares into space off to the side, like he's caught up in remembering something, an uncomfortable look on his face.
Meanwhile, a certain Fomantis has snuck around behind Joker and Feathers - with measured confidence, Bud jabs her claw into Feather's wing, like she is having a go at defending Steven from a lurking threat. It's not very effective.
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"Sounds rough. Why won't we go sit-" Feathers suddenly flares up a little bit, wings batting out, and Joker bites on his tongue to stop from swearing when he gets smacked in the face. "Oi, what's that- Bud, no! Don't you and Feathers get inta it!"
This is a serious moment, dammit.
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"Bud, it's okay," he says softly, putting out his hand to her. She looks a bit bashful, shuffling over to Steven like she's now afraid of retribution from the bird, for obvious reasons. "Joker's the one that brought you here, right?"
He casts one last cautious look to Joker, before leading him further into the fortress.
"We can go over here," he says. The next room has even more diverse plant life, illuminated by large glowing roses overhead.
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Well, it's better than the last room, at least.
Joker sits down where he can, gesturing for Steven to come next to him. "Alright, why don't ya tell me what happened. Was Childermass pickin' on ya?" He's kind of a dick as a Harbinger, after all. Joker has already learned that.
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Steven sits, bringing Bud into his lap, as he stares down at the floor. He's lost in thought, and those thoughts look pretty dark.
"He was trying to take CY-Ren's things. I told him to stop, and he... did something." His shoulders hunch up, an immediate fear reaction. The memory is fresh in his mind. "I... I thought my mom was there. My bad mom. I thought it was real..."
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As the boy explains things, Joker's expression dims to sympathy. A 'bad' parent, huh... "Ya didn't deserve ta go through that," he says after a breath. "I'm sorry I wasn't there ta help, although I wouldn't have been able ta do much, I suppose." Not against Childermass, not yet.
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He sits down on the floor across from Steven and begins to purr deeply. "Don't worry, I'm here of my own free will." Truth be told, Mari is much too wrapped up in her private affairs to worry about what Steven was doing. But Tabris has no such issue, and Mari is operating perfectly fine without him. He's simply enjoying observing the other Harbingers. He reports back to her with their affairs, but she neither asked him to do this nor intends to get involved. She just likes to know what's going on. Then she can plan around it.
He also likes knowing what's going on. But his motives are less practical.
He just finds it fascinating.
"Why? Do you not like her?"
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"Nightshade is around, though, and... and I know she'd want to take me back to her.So it could have been real, and... and I'm scared and I hate it. I thought it was supposed to stop when I started being a Harbinger. Everyone keeps betraying me and now you'll probably end up betraying me too!"
Despite accusing Joker of that, Steven doesn't pull away or show any desire to move. He just says it like it's a sad reality.
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"I wouldn't betray ya, unless I wasn't myself," he says, the mixture of lies and truths weaved together perfectly. On one hand, he knows he'll be going against Steven's "wants", with the boy as he is.... but it's also not a betrayal to get him out of this. It's.... complicated, in a way. At least the answer is a simple and easy one, however much Joker knows it will be difficult later.
"Listen.... Would it make ya feel better about Nightshade and all that if I stayed here?" With a shrug, Joker grins a little. "No need ta go back ta the carnival when things are gonna end soon, right?"
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It seems odd to smile at someone casually acknowledging your plan to end the world, but that's what Steven does. It's small and frail, but acceptance is something he's craving right now.
"...Won't the carnival get mad?" he asks. It won't matter for long, but it might result in more of them coming to harass him, which he is sick of.
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Instead, for the time being, Joker chuckles a little bit. "Ah, probably," he says, unconcerned. "But it'll be fine. Although I should probably leave a message... Ah!" Reaching up, he untangles one of the things he keeps wrapped around his antlers. Along with his charm for teleporting back to his trailer...
"Tyki got this for me, when we were on the moon." He offers the small texting ring to Steven so that he can see it. "I'll just tell 'im that I'm elsewhere, and that practice is cancelled, all that. What do ya think?"
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"I think Connie got one of these... during the Solstice..."
It's said a bit distantly. Things with Connie are hard at the moment. They were both changed by their experience with the Void, and it has made things in their relationship uncomfortable.
"I guess you can stay," he says, after a moment. Really, it's not like Joker is the one begging to stay, but it's easier to allow it that way.
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"Ya type better than me. Want ta help me figure out what ta send him? Ah-" He inclines his head towards Steven. "And we could ask him ta send messages ta anyone else, if ya wanted. I'm sure he wouldn't mind."
At least, Joker plans to make it up to him. He does have that fae ale....
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Ginko slows down, pulling his coat a little tighter around himself, and tries to pinpoint the direction the voice is coming from. "...Steven? Is that you?"
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"You can't tell me what to do!" His volume raises, the stress in this voice obvious. He's anticipating confrontation.
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"No... She's okay, I guess," he says, honestly. He glances away, letting Tabris chill. "I just... I know I'm supposed to be back at the Penthouse. I never told any of them I was leaving."
He doesn't sound guilty, exactly, but he does sound like he knows how that would cause conflict.
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"I don't know what to say," he admits, and passes the ring to Joker. "I'm not very good at lying."
He isn't really in the mood to try to placate people, either.
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"...Yeah," Steven calls back, grumpily, sitting in one of his gardens a room away. "I'm not coming back, if that's what you're here for."
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And with that, he types and sends a message, pretty simple and clean when all things are said and done. Best not to get too fancy on a thing like this, his typing is atrocious as it is.
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"They probably won't believe you," he says, but it's certainly not a reason to keep him from doing it. Carnival people have more than enough reason to be suspicious of this stuff.
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Shaking the thoughts out of his head, he puts the ring back and pushes himself up to his feet. "But it's decided either way! So." He looks around pointedly. "Only been' eatin' chips, then?"
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Look, he can't just assume Steven is totally wrong. But he's guessing he's expecting him to try to get him to come back, which... he'd like to, if he sees an opportunity, but honestly? After what happened with Tanyuu, he has no intention of just jumping right into that.
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His voice is a bit softer this time, mostly because Steven has peaked out from behind a bend of massive thrown - apparently having been lurking around in his own private jungle. He's watching Ginko warily, like he's expecting the man might pull something.
"I... I already know you guys think that. So... there's no point in telling me again."
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Part of him is happy to just skip past that discussion, though. Focusing too much on the past and all of these regrets... it's too much to think about it. He doesn't want to think about it, and he shouldn't have to, because the whole point is it won't matter anymore.
"No! Well... I did eat a lot of chips, but it wasn't the only thing I ate," he says, crossing his arms. "There was a grocery store here originally, and a bunch of the freezers and shelves are still downstairs. I just... like chips."
And has been stress eating, perhaps.
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Grinning, he leans down to prod one of Steven's cheeks with his finger. "Or else you'll start growin' chips and soda on the plants instead of just fruits and vegetables~." Well. Probably not. Then again, who knows? They live in strange times and visit strange places. Joker won't say 'no' to one or the other.
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Well, quite frankly she's avoided a lot of drama outside one or two fights with those from the Carnival. And she's been the master of deflection for probably a couple of years longer than Steven.
It takes her a bit, to follow Steven's voice-as she does however, her tone softens a bit. It just...doesn't feel like the time for abundant cheer and interest, with such a grumpy voice greeting her, and with a statement like that...she's not sure what's wrong.
But something is. "...Come back..?" she repeats, frowning as she looks for the boy. It doesn't take long to find him of course, but she lifts her mask off for the moment, staring toward him. "...I don't know what you're talking about but... ...Well, I definitely wouldn't force you to go somewhere you don't want to," she insists, shaking her head. "Besides, you made a really great place for yourself, it looks like..! Lots of plants, and..."
And she's getting a bit ahead of herself. She bites her lip, gliding over at a somewhat slow pace. "...Steven..? ....Did something happen..?"
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Maybe it's best that he be ready to leave if necessary.
So he just slides his hands into his pockets, and stays standing. "Alright. Then I won't." Instead...
"What are you doing in... here?"
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He's not Mari.
"Let them know you're leaving?" the cat repeats, sounding equal parts incredulous and... maybe you could call that 'amused.' "They figured it out."
Okay, now he just sounds smug.
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Just gunna hide out in the jungle and wait to die.
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Ginko tilts his head slightly and looks around at their surroundings. "...Seems pretty lonely."
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True story.
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"Childermass started going through CY-Ren's stuff, and when I told him to stop he attacked me, and I attacked him back. I don't see what the point in hanging out with you guys if you're just going to treat me the same way everyone else does."
Which is badly, apparently, in his current perception. Or maybe that's teen angst talking.
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She listens in silence-eyes widening a fair bit as Steven notes what happened, but her mouth joins in on the wide-open motion once he finishes. "EH!? Th-The same as-"
The woman is quick to come over-or, well. Try. The dress really really isn't made for running, and... "If anything, I should be giving him a piece of my mind right now..!! What was he thinking, snooping through someone else's things!?" Carly will try to look for the other's eyes to meet them-try, but if she can't, settle for 'all of Steven' as a target to look at when she speaks. "And if he attacked you, then you had every right to attack him back..! I..."
...She pauses. And falters a little. How could a fight become 'treat me the same as everyone else'? It's worrying. Frightening, even, to think about the depth of such words, and Carly's voice quiets. "...Steven... ...do you think I would hurt you..?"
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What had first seemed like a release has increasingly felt like a whole new prison, a tunnel with no light on the other side.
"Even... Even if they don't mean to they just... leave. Or die."
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Yet Carly can't bring herself to say that right now, simply staring at the other for a moment with sad eyes, before managing a few words in the resulting silence. "...Can I sit with you?" she asks first, before looking around. "...Would some light be alright? ...My fire doesn't burn, and...I could always put it on strings to keep from draining the plants, after all..." It'd be more like ghost lights, or wisps, or...
"...You don't have to talk, if you don't want to, but... ...It seems like it'd be better to have someone willing to listen at least, right? And..."
...
"...I definitely don't want to hurt you, Steven. ...Definitely not for anything happening now. ...So I won't. ...And if I did, I wouldn't leave-that's a promise, okay? I..." She needs to stop talking-she's getting a bit ahead of herself after all.
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"What... was he doing that he shouldn't have been?"