lostcarnival | ⇨ WISMUTH ENDGAME

Entry tags:

⇨ WISMUTH ENDGAME

Who: Everyone!
When: Evening Day 27
Where: The Wismuth Super Dome, Round 2
What: On the verge of creating a world ending army of Harbingers, CY-Ren and her followers are challenged by the carnival and the Star Guardian team. It's time to stop.
Warnings: Singing

THE LAST REQUIEM↴

CY-Ren's planning of a charity concert has been well received - news of bomb threats and harassment from fans have painted her as a victim in the media spotlight, and her generous attempt to make amends is getting plenty of attention. She's been busy spinning things for as much focus as possible, and the threat of potential danger has the news focusing in on the proceedings. The date is set for Day 27 in carnival time. You won't want to miss it!

► BUILD UP: In the last couple days before the concert, CY-Ren will be reaching out to all of her Harbingers, regardless of where they might be at the time - yes, this means that even if you ran off, she'll come to find you! (Unless you're in the carnival like Taako, then you're fucked.) She'll tell you that her plans are coming to head, and that if you help her with one last task then the planet will be on its way to destruction. There are multiple ways you can aid her: you can help amp up her performance as evil backup singers/musicians, or you can set yourself up around the perimeter at specified locations, using your sparks as a beacon to her magic. She's certain that she's perfected her musical formula, this time - when the concert gets underway, all those present with the capacity to be a Harbinger will awaken, and the end of days will begin.

► THE CONCERT: By the time the concert arrives, the Star Guardians will have the idea that there's something unnatural about the way the new Harbingers were made - this isn't how it usually happens, and that sets them apart from someone like CY-Ren. Maybe that means that they can be pulled away with less drastic measures as well, given that the Void didn't have the full right to their souls in the first place. Anyone coming to help (and those who aren't Star Guardians will be encouraged to come as well, given that if they are making attempts at friendship, super powers aren't required) will gather in the area early, determined to stomp this one out before it can get too far.

► HARBINGERS: This is when they will be encountered by Harbingers guarding the perimeter, as well as a small army of void creatures defending CY-Ren's last performance. Star Guardians will become aware through the power of Creation that the Harbingers on the perimeter must be neutralized in order to disrupt the concert - CY-Ren is feeding on their negative energies, and it will make it too dangerous to attack her directly. Confrontations with any Harbingers can be worked out on an individual basis via plotting - just make up a location around the concert and have your Harbinger providing a beacon of their own design.

As the concert ramps up, however, the excess of Void energy will cause the newly made Harbingers to destabilize - mentally or magically, their powers will be harder to control, and their negative emotions will be running wild. However, with that instability, there is also room for a breakthrough - for someone to blast the darkness from their Sparks with friendship and light. Now is the time to reach out.

► STAR GUARDIANS: If a Harbinger is successfully turned away from the darkness, they will briefly regain control of their Sparks, and be able to manifest as a Star Guardian for the first time. This will allow the Guardians to outnumber CY-Ren's forces. Their look and powers will still be based around the same Spark, but purified by Creation and aimed towards positive things. Time to win.

► DANCE OFF: Given that the Spark of Music and the Spark of Dance are colliding, it is perhaps not a surprise that this all manifests as a big ass musical number. As CY-Ren and Noa have a music battle, everyone present (even if you aren't a Star Guardian) will find themselves magically inspired to join in. You can dance, sing, or anything in between - the more people who support Noa's side, the stronger she will be. There will be a megathread for this part of the conflict, and at this point any unturned Harbingers will awaken and be able to turn their Sparks towards the light. As CY-Ren begins to lose power, what the players do with her will be up to you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Fun fact: Strange hasn't ever seen a moose. Sure he knows what they look like: he's an educated gentleman, he's been to museums and read books on animals. But you don't see many moose in Shropshire, Venice, or the peninsula. As such, he's confusing aspects of a moose with aspects of other antlered animals.

"I'll gore you if you even attempt to ride me!" he teases back. Moose are large deer things with antlers, deer can gore people with their antlers, ergo moose can gore people with their antlers as well. Perfect logic.

Changing tactics slightly, Strange launches a fireball at the void creature that 9S just blasted. It hits the thing square in the chest with more force than fire.

"I wouldn't count on it!" Moose might be ornery at times, but they were nothing like boar. In fact...

9S' voice takes on a cocky lilt. "I have plenty of experience riding moose!"

If Strange had been paying 9S any attention during the horseriding session when they were at the Prince's manor, he would've seen 9S cheerfully riding his horse with an uncanny amount of skill. And during all those hunting sessions, he had been riding bareback.

"Yes, but how much of that experience is—" Aaaand then Strange cuts himself off, partly because he's dodging a projectile tossed by one of the void beings, partly because the next part of the sentence would involve the phrase 'riding magicians' and he is far too immature to say that with a straight face.

Look, he was in the peninsula. He knows all sorts of innuendos and terrible sex jokes and things like that which inevitably happen when you put a bunch of men in a room together. And riding magicians is straight up the set-up to a terrible sex joke. But would 9S know that? ...probably not. Time to get his kicks while he can.

"How much of that experience is riding magicians?" Strange continues, biting down on his lip to keep from outright laughing.

Projectiles, huh? Commanding four of his five lasers, 9S creates a transluscent barrier to defend them against such attack. The follow up projectiles are repelled, blocked by the hard light barrier.

"Er, none," 9S admits. The fifth laser charges up, light glowing around its core. "But a moose would be better at being a moose than you!"

The innuendo.

9S' head.

Oh my God, Strange is going to have so much fun with this.

He briefly looks so delighted before going back to lobbing fire at a void creature. He already knows what he's going to say and without any shame, he happily responds, "Yes, but people turned into moose should be smarter than actual moose." Would they? Are moose smart? They look kind of dumb, probably not. That doesn't matter, because it's just a set-up for more awful innuendo.

"Perhaps I'll turn Rita into a moose first. Then you can get experience by riding her!"

What is actually paying attention to the fighting? It's pretty much all on autopilot at this point.

"What? No!" 9S' protest is immediate. "If you turn her into a moose, I'll..."

What will he do? Hm.

"I'll put Francis in your trailer and let him shed all over your clothes!"

Honestly, the cat in the trailer might be more of a problem for Syrlya, Strange's living tree roommate, than Strange himself. Strange is also pretty much on autopilot as he tosses fireballs, occasionally poofs into smoke to dodge projectiles, and occasionally puts out some of the fires he's causing. But giving 9S shit is the top priority so that's what he's going to do right now.

"I thought you'd want the experience! If you're worried about Rita, I doubt she'd mind. She—" Oh god, nope, immaturity is winning out and Strange badly represses a series of giggles. Fortunately, he manages to get composed enough to further give 9S shit.

"She probably wants to ride you herself!"

Rita's gonna set him on fire once she hears about this but it's worth iiiiiiit.

If it annoys Syrlya and he finds out that it's Strange's fault, will Syrlya inflict the punishment on Strange on 9S' behalf?

Man, maybe he should've brought his sword or Pod 153. But the powers of Creation seem to be extremely effective on the void creatures, and Pod 153 is currently supporting Noa's show. And maybe recording it, too.

"That makes no sense! Why would she want to ride me?"

He's not equine shaped at all?? Rita didn't seem too put off about riding at the manor, but it never struck him as something she would have an active interest in. Sure, she was interested in his experience being a chicken, but would she really want him turned into another animal?

...

......She probably would, wouldn't she?

"Besides, I don't need any more experience! I'm plenty experienced in riding already, alright?"

The more 9S talks, the more delighted Strange gets. He's got a big dumb grin on his face, the sort of shit-eating smirk that he has whenever he teases 9S about something in the first place. Part of him desperately wishes Lambert were here: his partner in crime for stupid stuff would enjoy the hell out of this conversation.

He'll just have to continue teasing to make up for Lambert's absence.

"You never know until you ask!" he responds, in a sing-song tone of voice. "And I doubt any experience back home will be much help here. She's probably expecting a different sort of riding than you're expecting." Strange tries to put as much innuendo as humanly possible into the word 'riding.' It's getting to be pretty obvious that he's giving 9S shit about something, but whether 9S picks up on the joke or not, it's yet to be determined.

Fully charged, 9S unleashes a powerful beam of energy from his fifth laser, blasting a path through the void creatures, right before he whirls on Strange.

"What do you mean?"

It's obvious Strange is teasing him, but about what? Is there some other kind of meaning he doesn't know that Strange is referring to? Somehow he gets the feeling that if he asked Rita about this, she would set both of them on fire or something.

"What other types of riding is there?"

9S is going to throttle Strange within the next day or so. Because bigass smirk on his face and sing-song tone still in his voice, Strange answers 9S's question with a bright and chipper, "I'll tell you when you're older!"

With a gesture of his hand, he shoves a gust of wind towards the void creatures, pushing out from that path 9S had blasted. It's obvious that Strange is flagging a bit: his breath is getting a little more labored and he's sweating up a storm. On the other hand, he's showing absolutely no signs of stopping and will probably continue to throw magic around until everything's solved or all this ends.

"You'll tell me when I'm--"

No. Goddamn it, Strange!

9S' cheeks colour as he realises what Strange is getting at. He's already had a confrontation with Cole about his feelings, he doesn't want to be thinking about that.

"Oh for the love of--! You're talking about sex, aren't you?"

He wouldn't mind, but...

He's straight up talking about sex. And Strange is a jerk, he badly repressed a laugh as 9S starts blushing. Is this the wrong time to be teasing the android about sex? Probably! Is he going to do it anyway? Definitely.

At least he's going to explain things before 9S throws something at his head.

"It's a euphemism," Strange explains, with a grin. "Not as fun as other euphemisms, but basically, to ride someone is another way of saying to have sex."

Edited 2018-03-19 13:32 (UTC)

9S lets out a strangled noise. "Strange!"

If 9S could throw something at Strange's head, he absolutely would. But he can't, so 9S is left clenching his fists and stomping his feet as he tries to fight down the rising blush from his cheeks.

"We're not like that! Why would you--" 9S lets out a noise of frustration and turns away, taking out his irritation on the next wave of void creatures. "I can't believe you!"

Those void creatures are getting amazingly murdered, Strange is considering this a win. Strange takes a moment to catch his breath, letting 9S do all the hard work as he watches.

Look, in his defense, 9S is a Guardian, they've probably got magical stamina or something dumb like that. Stupid Creation.

"I did that because you're easy to tease," Strange points out, as if it's obvious as hell. "That's why Lambert teases you as well. If you didn't react so much, we probably wouldn't do this."

That is a lie, Strange would continue to tease 9S. But hey, it's food for thought.

Nah Strange you just don't know how to run a magical marathon--

But it's true, 9S' magic is basically a bottomless font of power. It hardly costs him anything to shoot these lasers.

Somehow, 9S doesn't believe Strange. Lambert and Strange strike him as the sorts whob would tease regardless of how much a person reacts to it. Just a hunch.

"I think you're weirdly fixated on her sex life," 9S grumbles, erecting a barrier with his lasers before a barrage of projectiles fired from one of the creatures peppers it. "First you thought I had a crush on her," which he does but like he's going to admit that to Strange after all this! "then you buy her erotic literature, and now this!"

Wait hold the phone erotic literature what. Strange still isn't helping out in the fight, as he's taking this time to catch his breath...though he does quickly scamper behind that barrier 9S is erecting.

"When did I buy Rita that sort of thing?" She's a young woman so Strange is confident that Rita's probably read some of that stuff already, but him buying it for her? That's confusing the hell out of Strange. He looks over at 9S with a frown. Seriously, help him out here, he's got nothing.

9S is more than happy to do Strange's share of the fighting, especially since it gives him the opportunity to let loose on a bunch of mindless creatures. It actually feels good... almost like an addictive drug. And it IS like the most addictive drug of all -- love -- if Jackass to be believed.

"The book you gave her while we were on the moon? You know, the one about a woman who creates a mechanical man and teaches him emotions before they both have sex with each other?" How does Strange not know this? Exasperated, 9S adds, "Did you even read the book?"

Because 9S sure did. He read all of it, even the pornographic parts.

"It's really weird you'd buy that for her considering her roomnate is a mechanical man. It's almost like you're trying to give her a hint or something."

He has made a terrible mistake. Strange's expression goes from confused to embarrassed to downright mortified in a matter of seconds.

"I skimmed it! I thought it was just a romance novel, not anything smutty."

God, Rita probably thinks he's a creep! How on Earth is he going to explain this?

Is that really any better? Considering who she's roommates with??

9S points an accusing finger at Strange, complete with a dramatic flare from his top's coat(?)tails. "So you are invested in her love life!"

Is there any part of Rita that suggests she'd be interested in a romance novel? Like, really?

"Just because we're roomed together doesn't mean we have to hook up." Nevermind that when this is all over, that's exactly what he'll be suggesting to her. "I know you told me it wasn't proper for an unmarried man and woman to live in the same space," all the way from their very first meeting, "but things are different here!"

Consider this though: Strange is oblivious as hell and completely forgot 9S and Rita were roomies while he was buying said romance novel.

"She's a teenage girl," he justifies himself, with a roll of his eyes. "They all read things like that!" They do, don't they? At least in Strange's experience, they do.

But what is a teenage? Nevermind that! Strange is just backpedaling now! "Do they really? Have you seen the things she reads?"

Unless Rita's writing smutty fiction in that text he can't read yet -- highly unlikely -- there isn't anything like that in Rita's piles of books except Strange's book. He knows! Because he's gone through them!

"Are you sure you're not describing yourself?"

Did Strange read all sorts of smutty fiction when he was Rita's age?

Yeah, he probably did. But Strange is sticking to his guns and justifying his choices something fierce.

"Yes, they really do. When we're finished with this nonsense, I'm going to have to explain the concept of 'guilty pleasures.'"

Because oh yeah, they're still kind of technically in the middle of a combat zone. Sighing slightly, Strange starts to murmur a spell under his breath.

"Are you sure you're okay to keep going? You shouldn't push yourself... I'll be fine, you know."

9S twirls -- trying to mimic something he's seen 2B do before -- and points at yet another of the void creatures, his lasers concentrating all their fire at it. Wham, blam! And explosions of the void creature kind!!

The twirling just doesn't look as good as when 2B does it. Not that he'd be able to tell.

"You're not going to be telling me about all the weird things you've read when you explain that, are you?"

Whether 9S meant it or not, the implication that Strange can't keep up pisses him right the hell off. Star Guardian or not, he's a nightrunner and a magician. Of course he's okay to keep going, he will make himself okay to keep going, he's going to show all these assholes the true strength of English magic.

As such, the spell Strange casts is a bit stronger than expected. He finishes casting and gestures to one of the creatures. The gust of wind that Strange sends over towards an approaching void creature is strong enough to knock that thing off of it's feet and slam it back into another one. Petty spite is a great source of energy to get things done.

"I fought in the peninsula," Strange scoffs, putting some of that cocky bravado back in his voice. "Taking care of these things is easy compared to that!"

⇨ WISMUTH ENDGAME

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