lostcarnival | ⇨ DANGEROUS ENCOUNTERS

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.

He would be a piss poor 'deputy', if he acted as though the worst was truly over. While the others discuss matters, Gongenzaka alternates his focus- though a bit of magic doesn't hurt as well. "...We are not entirely alone..." He growls, voice kept low for the others and only the others to hopefully hear. His body stiffens with anticipation, and his eyes look to the vines.

"....Steven. Whatever must be done, it must be quick. If this is Her work, it does not seem that she intends to give us much relief..." To be more clear- "If you can, take who you are able-I, the man Gongenzaka, shall follow, along with anyone else. But after all..."

Well, after all, Steven had said 'Mom', hadn't he? "..It will be you that they are targetting in that case, correct? ....We cannot let them reach you, if that is the case..!"

The Rose Queen. It's not surprising, given the other Summer Fae are here. Yuya's grip on his staff tightens and he holds his breath briefly to steady himself. Right now he needs to push back the terror and grief so that they can get out of here.

Yuya takes a step aside as Steven stands up, but he stays close to him. He offers him a reassuring smile. "We won't let her get you or anyone else that easy."

He'd reference Portland, but that actually went poorly so he'll let vauge optimism hang between them instead. He looks between the creatures and the vines growing around the entrance. "We should really go now."

The fact that they were ordered to go back to the Carnival, the way that Tyki tries to command it like he's in charge here, both rub Susan the wrong way, but he knows that going back is the safer option and so he keeps it to himself for now.

"Are the plants even going to let us go? They're trying to trap us." At least that's what it looks like, with the way the vines are only growing to block the path they came. Honestly they should just fight, or at least fight as they go, but he doesn't voice that now. Not when everyone is still trying to just leave.

"It depends on if the plants can stop a lion from making a portal back ta the Carnival," Joker says warily, placing his hand on Steven's shoulder. "If he can make it through, then Steven, Hinawa, and someone better at fightin' should go with 'im."

The rest of them, well.... Joker gives a lopsided grin. "We're a little tougher and can make our own way back, I'd like ta think." He nods to each of the rest of them: Papyrus with his blasters, Lauren with his plant magic and Susan with his fire, Tyki. And now there's Yuya and Gongenzaka, too.

Him? Well, he has a bird and a knife, it's fine.

"If Lion can come back for us, it'd be ideal, of course."

Papyrus dallied a little behind the rest of the group, when they all trickled after Lion, because nobody was yelling like a fight was happening again, and if he's going to help many people avoid walking on these viney pathways, he needs to get the blasters cooperating with his incredible hammock-carrying plan again.

Not that they're not cooperating with him, but... After being used in that fight... They still feel half-active, mouths tipped with a little bit of light. Almost as if they were imitating those flowers? It isn't like his blaster have personalities in the sense that Sans' have. ...Or, maybe, not yet, but enough time with the Carnival could change that. A conundrum for later.

Well, as the others talk and worry about the flowers' identities, Papyrus pulls fraying ropes from the two blasters' mouths, and hooks them around the skulls in a few other locations. It's a little lopsided, but it should work. Give people something to hold onto above the ground, besides Lion and Tyki and Gon, and whatever else is letting them move quickly.

"In the meantime, we'll just have to wriggle through their trap! And hurry, before they grow it further." That's assuming the halls beyond this chamber aren't filling with the vines, too, but there's no sense expressing that kind of pessimism. "If they won't, or can't, even talk their plans to capture us... Then we don't need to be mannerly either! No sticking around for a fight. Let's just pick rides and go!"

With his back to the rest of the group Lauren, still in lion form, growls at the plants that look over them. He doesn't like this. The enemy wouldn't be so close if they didn't think they had some advantage over the rest of the carnival. They had run scared only moments early, so why did they now stay so close? He has a bad feeling something more powerful is coming their way, and his tail flicks warily behind him. They have to move, now.

Moving towards Susan he catches his brother's gaze before tossing his head towards the vine covered entrance. A little firepower to clear their way would certainly help with the vines growing as high as they are. And of course it'll be easier for both of them to clear the vines if Susan rides on his back.

As Steven thinks, Bud carefully pulls the candy out of his hand and starts to eat it. Steven doesn't even seem to notice. He looks up to the rest of the group, and then at the creatures still lurking in the shadows.

"I don't think they can see me," he says. He's not sure if it will help, but he's going to try anyway. "They ran right by and didn't react at all. I think... it's because of the ward the Starlight put on me."

Steven hops up onto Lion's back, and his two Pokemon follow, seating themselves on his mane. He looks determined now.

"So... if this goes wrong, I can probably hide longer than you guys can, okay? I'll try taking Hinawa and... who else wants to come with me?"

Yuya looks surprised to hear about the ward, but it's definitely a good surprise. He glances around their large group again before pointing to himself.

"I have a shield and the warding spell. They won't work if I'm moving, but if we get stuck then I can protect people. If we can avoid splitting up..."

Well, that would be ideal. He's not sure if splitting up is a good idea, but if they do ge should probably go with the group he can protect best.

'Mom,' huh? He's heard about Steven from a few others but he didn't know it was that bad. It's just something he files away for later without acknowledging it outloud. Chances are someone else might or at least consider it. He gives no reason to doubt his own words. If anyone wanted to run off he'd let them without a moment of hesitation. Everyone had a choice and choice was something he strongly believed in. If a kid wanted to go rescue someone, so be it. He wasn't going to stop them.

He glances over at Joker when he speaks and nods along with his words. It was better to get the ones that couldn't fight out of harms way or at least the ones that couldn't take an intensity fight of large number. Joker was also one he would consider getting on Lion but he had a feeling that opinion wouldn't matter.

"If anything works, I doubt we'll get more than another shot or two. Don't try to be a hero and just go if you feel you should." Then again, there is a shot it wasn't going to work anyways. He's not confident even his own power would work in navigating this maze of thorns. He would like to not have a repeat of the manor in going through a wall and either getting stuck in it or in some sort of trap.

Susan is also thinking that Joker should probably go, since he's not a fighter from anything he knows about him. But at the same time he likes Joker, and if he really wants to stay... Well, Susan isn't going to say anything about that. He's definitely not going back on Lion though, his decision only made clearer by climbing onto his (still lion) brother's back when Lauren gets his attention.

"Me and Lauren have to stay with everyone else. That way I can try and burn through the vines if they get in the way."

Lion growls, seeming to grow impatient as the seconds tick by. All he knows is that Steven is waiting for one of them to join on the ride, and that every moment they spent hesitating is another moment that Steven is being left in danger, and another moment where Lion might get attacked by those creatures again.

He gives Joker a pointed look, as if demanding that he fix this.

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-CASHES IN ON THAT PRESENCE- thanksath-

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