lostcarnival | ⇨ FAERIE TALES

The mission is clear, but the first step will be finding the person you need to rescue. It seems obvious that Steven is trapped somewhere in the Queen's gardens... the real question is how you will find him without being stopped by her defenses. Fortification is her strong point, apparently, so you have your work cut out for you.

Where will you start?

Gongenzaka starts as he has intended the moment a plan even began. Nodding to those with him, be says but one thing- "A moment to focus."

And focus he does. He closes his eyes and finds himself writing script in his mind almost, trying to paint themselves in the tale around them. A tale of rescue, and friendship (or at least, he would think so), and especially with how Yuuya had spoken to him about being visited in a dream...

It seems perfect. Like something from those books he brought back from Portland...if he would only give it something to latch onto.

He focuses, and his aura flares, shining an icey blue through the leaves of his back and his mane. It begins as the soul tracking spell- the magic he already had, the magic that would reach out and seek out the spiritual energies of those foreign and familiar alike. But through the story...

He tries to reach out as well- as he had to Creation, but this time, toward Steven. He seeks out the soul of one he considers friend, and familiar, and reaches for it. Create for us a beacon, that only we can find, he thinks, furrowing his brows with focus and dedication. Something to show us the way...

There is no faltering with his heart; he knows, absolutely, that they will find where he is, no matter how well he is hidden. Find him, and follow that trail to save him.

For the time being, Joker stays behind. As a Stage Manager, this is the skill he's had to focus the most: learning to stay in the shadows and allow the spotlight to shine on a performer in particular.

He'll let Gongenzaka start this story first... and see where this gets them.

Hopefully, to Steven.

Yugo leans on his D-Wheel while seated on it, waiting as most of this group is while Gon does his magical thing. He's all geared up with his duel disk and deck, while the currently tiny Clear Wing is perched as usual on his shoulder- the minor summon spell for his dragon feels likes second nature by now.

Also it's nice to have all the backup they can think to bring.

Edited 2018-05-27 00:26 (UTC)

There is a lot of waiting with mostly everyone being quiet while Gon tracks and for some reason that bothers him. He's not smoking for once, lingering towards the middle of the group again to keep an eye on everyone, and he'll occasionally hum or make some sort of noise to clear the silence. Everyone seems to be primed with resources and weapons ready to be used. This isn't as direct of a route as he would like but hopefully it is still working.

"You'd think we'd at least hear our Princess singing by now..." he remarks casually to no one in particular.

As Gongenzaka works his spell, the effects will be felt by the entire group. It's Creation who answers - or the piece of it Gongenzaka asked to stay by Steven's side, at least. Everyone in the group will feel a warmth in their heart, followed by a strong sense of direction, as if there is a guiding thread tugging at their chests and leading them forward. Moving the direction they need to go just feels right, somehow.

At the end of that trail, you can practically feel Steven's presence, like a soul laid bare. That part feels less comfortable - his distress is obvious, just from the touch.

"Whoah," breathes Amethyst, her eyes going round. She... isn't feeling great about this, to be honest, because she knows how hard it is to fight fae and she also knows she isn't amazing at storytelling, but she has to try -- especially now she can feel the misery at the end of the guiding trail Gongenzaka has activated.

She just needs to try to think of stuff that Steven would come up with, is all. And if she can't manage that, well... she's got her whip.

Yuya stands by Gongenzaka as he searches, staff in hand, but when he feels the tug of warmth he starts to move a little faster, a little more ahead. It hasn't been longer since Steven spoke to him through their dream, and yet it still feels like there's no more time.

With the Rose Queen, there might as well not be.

He slows down as Steven's empathy starts to wash over him, but he expected this. He knows, and so he steels himself to it to push forward--if their trail is blocked, he's ready to clear the way.

Ask and they shall receive apparently- Gongenzaka opens his eyes not long after Tyki's remark, the pulse of direction- and pain- telling him what has been successfully done. With a nod, he looks to the others. "Hmn. If you feel the same as I, then let us go; we must move with haste, and discretion alike," he insists, not likely looking the part of the latter at all. He begins to walk only when it's clear the others are either following, or walking with- though he does add, with a slight...pause.

"...I, the man Gongenzaka, should think your bike can move with relative silence if we need..." Hint hint, Yuugo. They can't have an engine thrum giving them away as they approach, but maybe some story writing can put some sort of upgrade on the thing for now.

Beyond that, it's a matter of getting there, so time to move. And the closer they get, the more his expression will tighten as Steven's distress grows clear.

"My wings never make any noise," Joker hums, even as his legs tense to launch himself into the air after keeping up with the boys at a trot. It's a lie he says with every bit of confidence, rising up so that he can be at his fastest. "Me and Tyki are the quietest flyers about."

At least with Tyki, that's sort of true, considering the other man's powers. And more importantly-

"But with Steven's heart guidin' us true, I know for a fact that we'll get right ta the place he's held captive with no one else but that dreadful Queen in our way." Can't make the story too easy, after all, or it's no story at all. "So cheer up, Zaka~."

Hrk, that familiar warmth starts to creep within him and he's quick to stunt it discreetly. The kid's in distress and that's all the motivation he needs to keep going. Though at Gon's comment he'll turn his gaze towards him with a soft snort, "Oh? So we weren't moving with haste and discretion to begin with?" Yet he understands. If they are getting closer it is best they all understand how things should be handled. Last thing they wanted to do was walk into a fortress loud and drawing attention.

Tyki's own footsteps are quiet, his Power to Choose activated to keep him about an inch off the ground just in case, so footsteps aren't heard in general. "We can handle anything if we stick together and coordinate as his lustrous knights." And not attack separately for no reason.

"Of course I had my D-Wheel completely prepared before this, it's the smoothest and most quiet ride around now." is what Yugo declares to roll with narrative's need for stealth at this stage.

Because no one needs to be telling the exact truth here with story magic backing them all up.

"And there's nothing it can't drive over."

They will move quickly and quietly with the power of their narratively enforced stealth, the motorbike unthinkably soft and the beat of wings near imperceptible. Soon, they will find themselves coming upon roses, growing from the walls, the bookshelves, and the grassy earth that has taken over the floor.

Glowing red roses lead the way, and vines strangle out most of the doorways leading inward. Yet, none of the rose guards seem to be present, at the moment. None of them are lurking in the shadows like they were before - it's almost like all of them are on holiday. Maybe they're just all conveniently in the wrong place.

Still, those vines are getting in their way. They can feel the path to Steven leading through them.

Edited 2018-05-27 01:44 (UTC)

Unusually quiet and unusually serious, Amethyst frowns, drawing her whip from the gem on her chest with a soft chime.

"I'm no good at stories or nothin'," she says, "but say the word and I can whip right through these."

Everyone else has the narrative of our journey covered, so Yuya doesn't speak up. It's when they reaches what he expects, a blockade, that he shifts his staff and reaches out to touch the vines. He glances to the others, briefly, furrowing his brow.

"The Rose Queen tried to keep the knights out, but one of them knew a spell." It's just belief, isn't it? He just has to believe. "It was the spell to banish the magic of the Fae. Maybe alone he couldn't clear a path, but... together, the knights are stronger."

If Yugo can embellish his bike, surely Yuya can embellish his magic. He has the power of his staff, so with his free hand he touches the vines and he extends the one gripping his staff out to the others. "They just had to focus together."

With a little handholding, if his real spell is the basis. And if that doesn't work they can try hack and slash.

There is little they can do except keep their guard up, and their pace swift- watch for danger, and chase the pulse that Steven takes them on. Even so, as the vines begin to get in their way, he bites back a growl. Reaching with his soul to at least, perhaps, give Steven the pulse and slight feeling that he won't have long, Gongenzaka brings his attention to the vines.

...He does not have something that can cut through this, but Gongenzaka looks to the others. Amethyst has the right idea, after all. "Hmm! Indeed, I, the man Gongenzaka, should think that between our combined power, and weapons all of us carry, that this should take us through fine..." he declares firmly, faith unwavering as he looks back to the vines.

He sort of wonders, actually, if he should pull out the object Yuzu lent him- he knows that at least one of them can breathe...some sort of 'flame' after all, even if it's plasma.

"Was there any doubt?" Joker asks as he comes in for a landing, settling right besides Yuya. Almost casually, he tugs up the sleeve of his right hand. Still so new to him, he sometimes almost forgets to use it.... but not today. Today, he's been thinking of nothing but it. In the oppressive gloom of the roses and their thorns, it almost seems to glow all the brighter.

"I'm Steven's and all of yers Guardian Angel, after all~." Yes, it's most certainly glowing brighter, the myriad of colors shifting and twisting almost like flame burning off the limbs. "There's a reason Eden's own had a flamin' sword, y'know... And my own will help weaken troublesome weeds like this so that we can tear right through!"

Amethyst squints sideways at Joker. "I don't understand any of what you just said." She strings her whip taut between two fists. "But okay, cool, I can't fuse with any of you guys but we can, what, use the power of teamwork anyway, right?"

Well, if everyone else has this right now and the story is focusing in a progressive manner he can't really complain. It allows him to steel back onto his heels and watch everyone else at work. He hovers a little higher off the ground and walks his way over with his hand pulling back to urge anyone behind him to group up with them.

Just for a moment, does he look back at Gon that seems to be a driving force and over towards Yuya who responds accordingly. Tyki's pleased at the synergy of the group and nods along to acknowledge anything they've said. He snorts at Joker's usual flair but his attention is lost when Joker presents his arm. He's trying not to focus on it and for some reason he's mildly bothered by it.

Thankfully Amethyst breaks his concentration and he'll move closer with a lean down towards her in a gentleman sort of way, "Exactly. Your whip has never been more sharp or true. It can tear down even the strongest of walls."

"That's what I like to hear," she grunts, and puts all of her formidable arm strength into lashing her whip at the crowding vines.

Oho, that's a thought that Yugo hasn't revisited in a while. "Thanks boss, but you're not the only one that was a Guardian... I've still got some of that left in me too!"

Yugo will... think of what means soon, but not now. Call it foreshadowing or something. He takes position near the vines where the least people are standing in the way (in other words MOVE) and then lets loose with his plasma breath... wait doesn't that thing also do the-

*PWING-FOOOOSH*

Suffice to say, he is not only keeping his distance the moment it appears Yuugo is joining in, he is sliding on the Crown of Flames that Yuzu lent him, slipping the stone out from his mane and setting it at his brow as she'd instructed him.

Better safe than sorry, and plasma Totally Counts as Flames (to be protected from).

With the combination of forces, there's no stopping it. It's nothing like their experience before, with it taking ages to chop through even a single vine. Now, the vines and thorns are torn asunder, clearing the entrance way with a single stroke.

The pathway is unveiled, allowing them to travel deeper and deeper into the gardens. Each doorway will be revealed in a similar manner, with a mixture of flames and whip cracks. Every room they go further, the foliage will grow thicker, with thorns filling more and more space and making it difficult to bypass even with their boosted power. Even if they can strike them down, it still takes time, and perhaps more than they'd like.

This really is taking far too much time, and Joker doesn't like it. Certainly, he didn't think this would be over in a heartbeat (and if it did, then he's pretty sure it would be for all the wrong reasons), but this much time...

While they're tearing through more vines, Joker steps back to reach for his belt. Feathers has been rather stressed throughout this whole experience, so Joker had wanted to keep him out of the fray for as long as he could.... but he should be fine. He's been spending the last while before this getting pampered to hell and back.

"Her weeds are rather sharp," he comments, "but I know some feathers that are sharper. He could distract them as well, of course. They rather fear 'im, with how fierce he was against them before." This is huge bullshit, but it's fine. "Draw their attention, weaken the forces crowdin' us...

"But I'm open ta other ideas, as long as we're speedy."

Yuya's too aware of their progress slowing down as the vines get thicker and thicker. He tries to tell himself not to get impatient, that of course getting through the Rose Queen's garden wouldn't be easy. But it feels like every second is risking more and more. Yuya pours all his focus into weakening the magical power of the vines, but even that feels like too little.

He's glad to hear Joker feels simiarly, and more firepower certainly can't hurt. But they all have to contribute, and what else can he do?

He glances up as they reach the next wall. Steven said something in the dream. Can their story reach him from here...? "The Prince reached out to one of the Knights, and said that he would help them get to him. Creation would continue to protect him until they arrived, but how would the Prince know when to act if nobody told him?"

He waves a hand vaguely up high in the air, like that's going to get Creation's attention. "So the Knight asked Creation to give him a sign! The Prince must still have some power left, for he said it in the dream."

STEVEN UNIVERSE & THE ROSE QUEEN

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