lostcarnival | ⇨ DANGEROUS ENCOUNTERS

Okay, well, they didn't actually kill the other monsters, but at least they're gone for now. Susan can take that as a victory, even if it's only a temporary one.

"If anyone is hurt, Lauren can heal." Not that he thinks anyone especially needs it, but because he just wants to make sure the offer is out there and he doesn't think his brother will tell anyone.

Overall though moving is a good idea, and staying in a group might be good too (even if it's only so he can help the others with his magic), and so he nods at Joker's suggestion.

"But keeping moving is good, as long as we watch out for more monsters!"

~~I roll to pet the kitty~~

Hinawa sighs in relief- just a few cuts and scratches. She gives Lion some gentle rubs behind his ears to try to put him at ease.

Sunny lets out a sad noise vocalization obviously disappointed in himself, but Hinawa gives him a reassuring smile.

"You were very brave," She tells him before looking over to Joker. "We've got to find a fast way back to the carnival. I don't want to stay out here another instant!"

He slides his hand off of Papyrus to remove his touch and will hold it out to him to help him up from his place on the floor. He's not going to hold it there for long. When that is completed he'll head back to the middle of the group where he can be the most utilized.

He shifts the cigarette to the side of his lips as he speaks, "And go where exactly?" Not that he doubts Joker's judgement nor is he ignoring everyone else that suggests moving. He looks up above them as his hand lifts to allow the Tease to flit around in the air near him. He's not sure how high up the hedge goes nor is he willing to abandon everyone down here to try to take a better look at their surroundings from a high vantage point.

With Tyki's offerred hand, Papyrus bounces back on his feet in no time, spinning as he checks around them that the fight's really over. Looks like it is. At least for the moment.

"Hmmm... Lambert said everyone should get back. That seems the safest place to be, in the Carnival." Familiar ground - for all it's been changed by merging into the library - with everyone's belongings and things. The perfect place to regroup when things get a little thorny.

"I think it's... that way?"

Lion closes his eyes as Hinawa gives him a rub, obviously appreciating it. He sinks down low as the people speak, relaxing and letting himself recover - that is, until he seems to hear something in the distance. His ears perk up, and he gets to his feet, giving Hinawa enough time to get out of the way.

He starts moving in the direction that a bunch of the creatures ran, not paying much mind to the rest of the group. He's definitely zeroing in on something.

Lauren doesn't know Lion well, but he does know Lion isn't your typical large cat. Even if he didn't he'd be able to guess the creature was special simply from the way the others tried to keep it safe. So when Lion runs off, Lauren follows, not even stopping to check with the others first. In fact, leaping forward he takes the shape of a lion himself, just to try and keep up with the creature.

Susan doesn't wait either before pursuing, although he doesn't shift like Lauren does, instead just chasing on foot. He doesn't know Lion either, but it seems whatever he's doing is important.

"Well, we could always ask Lion ta help-" Joker manages, before said large big pink cat decides to fuck right off of his own accord.

Followed by the dumbass teenager and his little brother.

"Oi, oi!" Exasperated, Joker doesn't waste any thought in chasing after the two, plus Lion. "Don't just go runnin' off like that!"

It looks like he already knows where he's going. Sorry, Tyki.

He doesn't like to assume but he figures he's talking about the Lion. Or he would've responded with some skepticism on the matter. He wants to know who named the thing first off and what a lion can actually do other than use its nose.

That is until teenager and his brother run off after the now moving lion and with a hard stare he'll watch Joker run right off after them. He sighs heavily and then takes a deep breath of the cigarette, inviting the sweet poison into his lungs. Joker was going to kill him at this rate.

He doesn't bother to gesture to the others before running after Joker, "Take your advice for once!"

Yuya wishes the ice prison had been the end of things, but it's pretty apparent things are getting a lot worse before they're getting better. He's had his radio on, so he's hearing the people going missing, Fae showing up, nobody being able to find their way through these shadows... which are frankly unsettling and make the library even worse to navigate. Yuya's not even sure what they're doing, except moving around so as not to get caught by the Fae.

That's probably less successful when you run straight into Fae territory, but more important: there's other carnival members here. That's safer than the two of them alone, right? So Yuya gestures for his friend and then jogs to catch up with them as they start pursuing Lion.

He stops, briefly, when he sees the carcass of the rose creature, and then runs faster to squeeze in with the other carnival members. "What happened?!"

Lion leaps over a thick vine that's grown across an archway and towards the sound. It may become more clear what it is as everyone gets closer. The most obvious sound is that of a Chikorita growling like a guard dog. Second to that, is the soft sound of someone crying.

The creatures that just fled through here can still be seen running off into the darkness. Curiously, this is also where they'll find Steven, sitting on the floor in what would have been their direct path, staring off after them with a look of utter grief on his face.

Lil is growling. Bud is cowering by Steven's side. He almost doesn't notice the people arriving until Lion has reached him, immediately beginning to check him over. Physically, Steven looks fine.

"Lion!" Steven gasps, caught totally off guard. He turns a little and sees the others approach as well - but he's too stunned to explain himself, at least for the moment.

Lauren ignores them. He can't talk like this anyway, so he'll let the others share information to figure out what's going on. Lauren takes this moment to stalk around the immediate area, looking and sniffing for anymore of the plant-like creatures from before.

Out of almost all the things they could have stumbled onto, this is one which really speeds up Joker's pace into an outright run. "Steven! There ya are!" Behind him, Feathers is rising up, circling cautiously for any other sign of those creatures. Lion is soon going to be joined in his check up of the boy.... so long as Lil and Bud let him, anyway.

"Are ya alright!?"

Steven hugs Lion's neck as he's being checked out, tears rolling down his cheeks. He doesn't know whether to nod or shake his head. Either way, he's incredibly relieved to not be alone.

"They were people," Steven manages, too emotional to explain his thought very well, but trying. He shakes his head, rubbing away his tears. "I'm sorry. I'm okay."

Meanwhile, Lion is looking at Lauren dubiously, as if just noticing that another male lion has popped up out of nowhere.

Edited 2018-05-14 04:08 (UTC)

Ah, Steven. Another kid. Tyki slows to a stop once the goal is in reach and he walks over the rest of the way to allow Joker and Lion to smother the kid with affection. He keeps a few steps back as not to get his smoke blowing in their direction.

A few Tease slide into view from behind him to flit into the air at attention. He doesn't want anything sneaking up on them while they are having a lovely reunion. He looks around to check how open the space is, how much more the thorn growth is here, and whether or not anything more ominous is present at the moment, "People?"

Susan sticks with Lauren, for now, although he's listening in on the conversation too. He's never good with actually comforting people, for how good he is at talking to them, so this way is probably better.

He definitely is keeping an eye on Lion, though, with the way he's watching his brother. He'd better not try to protect his territory or any other presumably lion-like things like that.

"The monsters," Steven explains quietly. "I think... they used to be people. But now they're all messed up inside. I can feel it."

He's definitely having some Empath Problems at the moment.

Yuya didn't catch most of that fight, but he saw the corpse, and there's a sudden wash of horror putting those pieces together. Oh, god. Is that what the Summer Court does to some of the people they kidnap? Which of the Fae is able to do that to them?

He looks between the others before moving to approach Steven, to hopefully put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. We're all here now. It'll be okay."

His hand slides against the small bag on his hip and into the small pockets within. He fishes out a couple of confectionery candies and squats down near the crying kid. Joker liked him, Tyki worked with him, so he sees no reason to keep him in continued distress. Plus, he liked kids and it was always hard to see them cry.

One hand slides his cigarette to the side while his other holds them out to Steven. There's manor pings all over again and he squashes that down uncomfortably with a thin frown, "That's unsettling." Said more for Steven's sake than his own.

When they initially arrive, Gongenzaka does not say much of anything-partly because he's feeling just a little bit ashamed about earlier still-but partly because, upon seeing the floral corpse, he cannot help but stand more warily to face away from Steven and everyone. His ears twist and swivel, and his aura glows quite literally off his body as he tries to feel out for presences other than their own.

He almost loses the focus required for the spell, when his eyes pick up Steven's words instead. "KGH-" Choking, he turns his eyes toward Steven, now looking at him from over the rest. (Pushing through a crowd when you're a giant is sort of rude, if not mean, after all) "People..!?" How lovely.

"...Steven...people, or no, we cannot stay here. If those things were people..." And he wouldn't doubt it possible, unfortunate as it is, "...It does not change that they may return." He's certainly ready, and willing, to fight- but it would be much better if they could get out of here.

Even with this new knowledge, there's not exactly any regret in Joker even though his face makes a good play at it. "Zaka's right," he quietly tells the boy, reaching over to squeeze his shoulder. The hand with his blade, the one that went right through a creature's head, doesn't sheathe it.

"Can ya get up? We'll use Lion ta get us all back ta the carnival." Hopefully that will work, at least.

The color drains from Hinawa's face. They were people. It seems that awful man of the manor wasn't the only fae who did such horrible things. And poor Joker, she can't imagine what he must be feeling right now.

"We'll help them," She says, trying not to let her voice shake. "There's not much we can do now, but soon, we'll find a way to help them."

Anyone with good eyesight will see that some of the creatures are still watching them from the vines growing around the room, either perched up about or hunkering low in the shadows. The entire area feels oppressively dark, even with the roses casting red light to combat it.

Worse, the vines are still growing. Even the entrance they just came in through is looking increasingly impossible to bypass, even if it wasn't for the creatures looming there in wait.

Steven takes the candy from Tyki with a murmured thank you, though he doesn't eat it so much as stare at in in his hands as the others offer reassurances. He's managed to wipe away most of his tears at this point, and his expression is settling into something more wary and determined than heartbroken. He realizes that this situation isn't as unfamiliar to him as it could be.

He stands up, resting his other hand on Lion's mane. He's starting to sense that Lion was hurt somehow, so he presses a smooch to Lion's forehead, which rolls out into a sparkling, healing aura. Lion yawns with obvious relief.

"I don't know if Lion can carry all of us," Steven says uncertainly. Especially with people like Gongenzaka present. "But..." He looks off into the thorns. "I know my mom's the one that did this."

His Tease are still on high alert in the air with the one tucked in his hair at the side of his neck visibly rubbing against skin occasionally when a Tease dies somewhere else. At this rate he might have to consider making more. Steven takes the candy and he's back up on his feet, giving the boy space with everyone else crowding around him. He looks off towards the creatures watching and keeps up his controlled poker face of a rather calm individual.

"I don't need to be carried and I can carry anyone that can't run," he begins with another draw of his cigarette to further calm himself, "But there will be no side trips, no extra plans. We are returning to the carnival as ordered no matter how we have to get there. Everything else will come later. If you run off on your own I won't hesitate to leave you to ensure everyone else's safety." ....with the exception of Joker.

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Establishin' Gon's presence here with Usagi's permission

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-CASHES IN ON THAT PRESENCE- thanksath-

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