⇨ 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]

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.