⇨ DANGEROUS ENCOUNTERS

[ringleaders]

Who: Anyone out in the library.
When: Day 59
Where: The Athenaeum
What: Towards the end of the visit, we are visited by a series of worrisome NPCs, who may or may not be illusions. There will be at least 5 NPC toplevels posted overall, all happening in a similar time period ICly (in rough chronological order), so not everyone needs to be in every thread.
Warnings: Possibility of very real danger to anyone who participates. Remember that Sans has told everyone to travel in groups, so if you aren't, you'll probably get a scolding later.

TURNING THE PAGE↴ As the carnival continues to explore the Athenaeum in the pursuit of more information about the legendary Miracles, the tension is thick with the knowledge that the Summer Court could be in pursuit any day now. On Day 59, a series of threatening encounters will begin manifesting - but are they real, or an illusion?

Comments

[hippocarnival]

Joker doesn't succeed in grabbing Yuya as he dodges and only looks more incensed as he bids Steven farewell. His chest is tight at the thought of leaving Steven in her grasp. He knows better what she did, he knows the way Fae enthrall people, he remembers how even with the Ringmaster they struggled through her realm...

"Let me go through last. I'll follow." He manages, at least, to keep his voice steady. Yuya's intention isn't to throw himself into the fire. This is the Rose Queen, after all, he won't win against her power.

But he's not totally faithless in Steven.

[prazerbutterfly]

Yuya's resisting. That's fine. Tyki's not going to push the issue just yet. He's walking away from the hole and making his way over towards Susan and Papyrus. Not to go out of order, or disobey Joker, but he's done with this and he's reaching down to grab the both of them.

"Both of you leave together then." Either Papyrus is coming with him or he's getting gently dragged in the right direction. Susan on the other hand will get snatched by whatever means necessary and forced towards the hole. "Either way, we're leaving."

[wild_magic]

Susan growls and bites and claws as he's grabbed, trying everything in his power to get away. Of course with the mind of a badger he can't actually think much past trying to get away and back to his attempt at a hole, which means that his attempts at escape are easy to stop if someone is actually willing to try and carry an angry badger.

[spaghettimonster]

"But!" Papyrus protests, but doesn't struggle. Even with all the rocks his bones are turning into, he still weighs less than 50 pounds and he isn't exactly muscular. It's easy enough for Tyki to grab him and drag him away; especially because he doesn't struggle against it.

He tosses another round of bones at the hole to further soften the earth. Just in case it makes the difference for Lauren to make his way out.

"If Steven wants to stay," and that's a big if, they surely all realize, "okay... But, what about-- our other friend?

dear creation dont let steven die the end-

[betheman]

How he manages to stand firm under Joker's stare, he will never know. But he releases hold of the supervisor with ease. Part of him thinks, bitterly, don't look at me that way. It would be childish, to assume his last words to the Queen had damned the entire situation, after all. The Rose Queen had received what she wanted- anything after, would be dust in her ears, nothing more.

But even so, as he nods an affirmative to Joker, as Tyki sends the badger and Papyrus through, and as Yuuya and Joker quietly 'argue' if it could be called that, his steps closer to them feel heavy. Joker's thin expression burns through his mind, but what burns most is that look of expectation from Yuuya. That stare, as if to say, 'this can't be it, we can't let it be it.'

But what else was there, in this situation. Words would not help-certainly not if Joker as well was taking them on their way. They could not recover Steven, nor Lauren- not that the latter comes to mind, thanks to the dull and self-punishing roar in his ears. He feels as terrible as when he and Yuuya discussed that scroll art. No, worse even, for at least then they had found themselves discussing-

He blinks, and for a moment feels lightheaded, moving toward Yuuya to set a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I, the man Gongenzaka, shall be right behind you for each step. But this is a matter of size, Yuuya. Nothing more." So he says- but then, with a quiet whisper- "...Think back to what we discussed. In the library, regarding 'favor'."

He is not asking Yuuya to call his own in, of course. That would be as foolish as using his own to try and take Steven himself.

But Gongenzaka closes his eyes as he releases hold of his friend. Slightly, his aura glows as it would when using his typical chakra magics, as he focuses. Reaches, for something familiar. For that light, for Creation itself, so that he can call and ask for their aid without words.

So that he can show them Steven, frightened. Show them the Rose Queen in all her wrath as witnessed before, that changeable nature that could so easily turn on her 'son'. 'Protect him,' he asks with his heart. 'Whether by hiding him during her rage, by sending a protector to his side, or even keeping her appeased with him as long as he is with her. Protect him. Keep him safe.'

He follows the others wordlessly- doing as requested if any try at the last minute to escape, nudging them back with vines as his aura fades.

Gongenzaka does not look back.

He simply climbs awkwardly to and into the hole after the others, squirming against the vines once his middle faces the obstacle in question.p

[pipers_son]

Even as their actions hurt other people, it seems like some children just don't learn. Joker can already tell, once they all have a moment to breath, that he'll really have to confront everyone on the things that happened....

But for now? For now he jut heaves out a sigh and brushes past Yuya. "Remember who ya leave behind if ya do anythin' stupid," he mutters simply before folding himself through the hole, Feathers hopping after.

He has to make a radio call.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya doesn't verbally respond, but his expression does soften. He watches Joker walks by over his shoulder, and then looks at Gongenzaka and jerks his head to the door. He's got permission now, so he'll follow the rear. And he's nearer to the exit than he is the Rose Queen, if running is necessary.

He'll wait a moment, to give everyone leaving time to properly clear through the hole, before he turns back to the Rose Queen and Steven.

[betheman]

He's done focusing. He's done calling. He moves to Yuuya, but does not pass him. "...I, the man Gongenzaka, have called Creation," he tells him quietly, his voice wavering slightly. "...We must leave, now Yuuya. You, at the front- to have you wait for myself to struggle through will only test her patience."

Honestly, this is probably testing the patience of the Queen already, so. Yuuya.

[prazerbutterfly]

Susan is cute if they think Tyki really cares right now. He's holding the badger at arms length, not really minding if claws or teeth scratch up his arm. He's had worse and if it becomes too painful or he bleeds, he won't care, he'll just knock him out. Thankfully Papyrus takes his lead and he's out the other side before they know it.

Now he just has to wait for Joker to emerge. It's his choice whether he stays or leaves in the end but he's not going anywhere without him. He's calm now. Too calm and only after a short moment does he just drop the badger without hesitation.

[hippocarnival]

"... If you get stuck, I'm staying with you anyway." But that's really not the important part of this, anyway. If Gongenzaka did call Creation to help, shouldn't encouraging Steven only make this more likely to work?

He's sure Gongenzaka will be fine. "Please trust me. I'll catch up." He sounds assuring about that, at least.

[betheman]

"Hmmnnnnhhh...." He's growing rather irritated about this- this isn't even a matter of safety, the order of exiting. But the longer they stand and bicker about it, the more likely the Queen is to turn on them both anyway. So finally, with a grimace, he turns toward the door and squirms his way through- flexibility allowing it with ease.

He has vines in his tail- still poking through the hole in bits- waiting however. Just in case someone actually needs to be pulled to safety.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's shoulders relax. That should be everyone, then.

Yuya turns back around to the pair in the center of the room. He remembers something Steven told him in Wismuth, how nobody reached back when he was trapped.

"Steven. Steven!" He calls out with just a slight edge of desperation in his tone to get Steven to look up at him, holding his free hand out as far as he can stretch it. He doesn't say more, but it's a clear enough offering if he can hear it. Someone's reaching back this time.

[betheman]

And... That's not what he wanted to hear. Forget trusting Yuuya to come back-he trusts that on its own, but with everything else around?

Gongenzaka is presently doing the greatest, most awkward backward scramble to get back out of that hole to better snatch his friend if need be.

[starseedling]

With the way the Rose Queen is turned, Steven can see the way that Yuya is reaching out as his eyes flutter open. He's still in a daze, but hearing his name called that way, hearing that desperation - it causes him to try to focus through the enchantment, even though it feels nearly impossible.

Something about it feels so familiar. In a nearly subconscious way, he finds himself stretching out his fingers, like he's going to grab for something, even if he can't remember exactly why.

He can't imagine leaving this embrace at the moment, but for the first time, he questions it. The sickly sweetness of her affection is drowning out all rational thought.

[npcarnival]

The Rose Queen, however, is most displeased.

She doesn't understand the meaning of this gesture, or why the boy is yelling out, but she knows she doesn't like it. She holds Steven more closely to her chest, as if protecting him from something.

Her defensiveness turns to anger as she raises a hand, taking control of her roses. She sends a spray of thorns, fast as bullets, shooting towards Yuya. He will either be gone, or he will be dead. He can decide which.

[hippocarnival]

Steven reaches back. It's dazed, but it's there! Yuya grins wide, nodding enthusiastically as he takes a step closer. "Steven--"

And then the Rose Queen moves and Yuya stops, his gaze snapping just to the side. All that joy drains immediately and he pails as the thorns come at him.

He throws himself backwards, crouching down and covering his head as he summons his shield, pouring as much focus as he can into it to try and deflect them. He went through this once with Steven, and he doesn't anticipate being able to outrun them.

[betheman]

Well that's just great. Gongenzaka finally squirms free, and frantically launches a set of vines over. "YUUYA-!" he shouts, still partly at the hole. Presumably at least, this will take the other out of the path of the thorns, but...

"GRAB ON!"

It's not a 'snatch'. He's giving the choice- or at least, asking before any grabbing.

In fact, he won't even grab until Yuuya takes a vine first.

[hippocarnival]

The thorns slam into the shield. It's hard, harder than it was to deflect Steven's, and he already knows he couldn't make it against that. There's a split second of panic, and then Gongenzaka calls out for him.

Yuya looks up at the outstretched vine. He takes a deep breath, slowly rising. Then he surges forward, shield dropping with his movement as he lunges for the vine. He's not fast enough to dodge all of the torns, and the piercing into his skin is immediately painful--but he's too caught on the adrenaline of surviving to even worry about that, right now, head spinning with the need to get out.

Not just that, but he got through to Steven. Yuya resolves, even if he can't save him right now, that he'll definitely come back for Steven.

But right now, he lets Gongenzaka pull him to safety as fast as they can.

[betheman]

Good call, Yuuya. It was the only call, but it was a good call. Wrapped up a bit like a caterpillar in a cocoon, Gongenzaka slides Yuuya through that hole first, and starts squirming in after. Maybe before, it was a matter of testing patience. Now?

At least if anything gets struck and hurt, it'll just be his hooves, tail, and maybe rear end.