⇨ EDEN

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 79 - Day 85
Where: Eden
What: Everyone arrives in Eden with their new animals forms - unfortunately, the welcoming party is a bit more intense than expected, with a ritual called 'The Anointment.' Better get this place figured out before anything gets any crazier.
Warnings: Hopefully no ritual sacrifice!

FLAME OF INSPIRATION↴ So it begins. After everyone has been given their new animal form and have had about an hour to readjust to it, the Ringmaster begins the infiltration. You don't see a lot of the specifics of the magic - all you know is that Pru's sword, the Hand of God, is somehow involved. It alone can tear through the wardings of Eden's realm, and once that entrance is made, the teleportation is instant. Everyone will find themselves in an open grassland overlooking a dense forest, with buildings and lights poking up out of the leaves. Behind you, there is a darker place - the barrens, the Ringmaster has explained. It's were the Outcasts are sent after they're banished. You are scattered across the area as if you've been dropped in with nothing. You've been given specific instructions - act as if you have no memory besides the vague life of being an animal. None of you know each other. You don't know how you got here, you've just been suddenly found yourself enlightened. Hopefully feigning ignorance will be what the residents are expecting, as what information the Ringmaster could find suggests it should be. Before the beasts of Eden come to claim you, you'll see the Ringmaster once last time, in the form of a giant serpent. With a nod of her head, she slithers away towards the barrens - she'll be in touch. ► THE WELCOMING: It's not long until you're discovered. The first to find you is a pigeon, who seems rather surprised. She'll ask the first few new arrivals she sees a couple questions - 'did you just get here?' 'did you meet the great Lilith?' Regardless of your answers, she'll hurriedly say she's going to go get help, and will fly away back into the forest. A short while later, an entire welcoming party of different animals will have come to greet you, sweeping out to find every straggler and explaining that you are the newest of the chosen. After they are sure that nobody is being left behind, they will invite you into Eden. ► THE GARDEN: Eden is a beautiful place. Every street, every structure, is surrounded by flowers and vibrant plant life - every bit as idyllic as its mythos would imply. The architecture is ambitious and creative, as if the residents have been perfecting the art for thousands of years, which they almost certainly have. There is the sweet smell of perfumes and incense on the other animals are you are led into the city. This is your home now, the locals will explain. You have been chosen by the Creator to serve Her cause. You will become one of the Honorable, one of Her artisans working towards the Divine Clarity. But first, of course, you must be sanctified. ► THE ANOINTMENT: On that first night, everyone is brought to a vast cathedral, covered in unknowable writings in a shining script. You are brought in through several gorgeous hallways lit with shining crystals and blue flame torches, only to emerge in a great hall built around a circular, sparkling pool of water. There are several braziers around its circumference blazing with fire, with sets of tools hanging out of them, like iron pokers. All of the new arrivals are gathered into the grand hall, and scriptures are read in the background that you can't really make out the specifics of. You will all be made to stand around the outside of the pool, and the local animals will gently explain to you what needs to be done. To become a new Honorable, you must be Anointed with the Flame of Inspiration - that is, they are going to brand you with the metal pokers they have heating up. If you go along with it, they will burn the mark into a highly visible part of your person (they have smaller brands for smaller animals), and then cool it off in the pool of water, where you are encouraged to bask until you are comfortable again. There are obviously a couple concerns with this. The biggest one is that it's sketchy as hell. The second one is that the brand is definitely made of medium grade iron. While the painful difference it makes won't be super obvious from the outside, long-term veterans and those with superlative fae qualities will find it very uncomfortable, and it will blister for a fair while afterward, which is seen as unusual. If your character refuses, or tries to get around it somehow, please explain in reply to the post down below. ► THE DAYS AFTER: After everyone is branded (or isn't, as the case may be), you'll be given the opportunity to dry off and head back into town. All of the fancy structures here are communal, they will explain, and you can choose wherever you'd like to sleep. There are a few buildings that are mostly empty that newbies seem welcome to hole up in, though the locals assure everyone they will be nearby in case they need help. In the days that follow, everyone will be welcome to explore Eden and find their bearings, and begin to discover what gifts the Anointment has bestowed on them. Whether or not you were good at a creative pursuit before, you will find yourself filled with inspiration for something - any artistic talent will do. It's like a creative talent will have been born in you overnight, or like an existing talent of yours has been boosted to near perfection. This effect will last as long as the characters are in Eden unless you are told otherwise. You won't feel the need to eat, but there is breakfast available, if you'd like it. The locals are very courteous, though they seem a bit confused. Something about your entry seems to strike them as different than usual.

Comments

[hippocarnival]

Yuya's expression drops and he looks to Rita and tells her if they don't show Ignatius any trust, he won't show them any trust, either. And if she doesn't trust him, can she at least trust Yuya that he's not going to do something stupid?

Then he'll turn back to Ignatius asks if he'd be willing to talk to Yuya one on one, then, because he wants to be able to be non-antagonistic with him.

[npcarnival]

Will Yuya's associates even let him do that?

[whattaprick]

Lambert says, over Rita's squalling, that he's only here because he trusts Strange (now it's his turn for a steady look at the magician). Strange seems to think Ignatius can be trusted to at least keep his word once it's been given, so they came to see if there was a shot at working something out.

Yuya speaking to Ignatius one on one, he's less thrilled about, but he says he's willing to let him do it. He'll will point out that he needs to be close by so he can keep casting the spell that keeps them from being overheard by others, but if Yuya and Ignatius want to be completely alone, well, they'll have to keep their voices down.

[anti_nonsense]

Rita is tense, her fur puffed out to hell. She'll concede that of course she trusts Yuya, but...

...

Ugh. She hates this, but she'll allow it, so long as any agreement they reach is neither for Ignatius to regain his heart, nor for a contract of servitude.

And finally, she'll remind Yuya to be careful with his words, damn it. She looks worried to all hell and not at all comfortable with this.

[kingsroads]

Strange idly responds that he's not entirely certain anybody wants his opinion, but Yuya talking to Ignatius alone is fine by him.

And he takes flight a little bit, flying away from Ignatius. He lands on top of Rita as much as he can, deliberately trying to squish her a bit.

[hippocarnival]

Syrlya up above have no response, unable to hear anyone and just playing lookout up in the trees anyway.

Yuya smiles and thanks all of them. He'll give Ignatius final decision if he's okay being close enough to Lambert for the silencing spell, if he if wants to just keep their voices low and be alone.

[anti_nonsense]

Rita, partly squished, attempts to flail her claws at Strange's stupid bird feet.

[kingsroads]

Strange starts trying to pull at her fur.

HOW'S IT FEEL NOW TO BE BULLIED, HUH RITA.

[npcarnival]

Ignatius will start to climb down from the tree he's been sitting in. He says that Lambert can come and upkeep the spell, as long as he promises not to interfere in negotiations.

[whattaprick]

Lambert asks, ominously, if he's going to have to set both Strange and Rita on fire to get them both to sit the fuck down and shut up.

But with Ignatius coming down, his attention's drawn away, and he nods. He promises not to interfere with the negotiations, he says, unless he deems that Yuya or Ignatius might be in some kind of immediate danger. Not necessarily from each other, he'll clarify dryly, but if Syrlya sounds the alarm, they're all going to have to split.

He'll walk over with them to wherever they want to have their chat, then settle down into a catloaf on the ground, eyes going half-lidded as he tucks his paws under himself just to make himself look even less threatening. Happy now, Iggy?

[hippocarnival]

Yuya nods in understanding, because it's true none of them want to get caught, and by Ignatius's lead they'll go a little further aside to talk in more privacy.

He'll start by asking, genuinely, how Ignatius is doing since arrival. Strange told him he was 'alive and well' after the branding, but... that was painful, Yuya can't imagine how bad it must have really been.

[npcarnival]

Ignatius just says that he's had worse. Iron is daunting, but it's not as if he hasn't felt its bite before. Of course, it's the first time since he had his heart torn out, which seems to have made him less able to cope with the after effects.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya will ask, tentatively, what that feels like... missing his heart? He'd never heard of something like that, either happening or being possible, but he's also not super educated on Fae biology.

Ignatius doesn't have to answer, but it sounds pretty awful and he's willing to listen.

[npcarnival]

He's not sure that he can describe it in terms Yuya would understand, because he isn't sure that mortals feel the same things that fae do. The best he can think of is that it'd be like suddenly not having a mouth anymore, or not having eyes. It's an entire facet of your body's function, but then it's just gone.

But he thinks Yuya is thinking of hearts more literally than it is in this case. The heart he's talking about doesn't pump blood or anything like that.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya considers that. He'll explain that some people do go blind, when they could see before, or they can lose their limbs or become paralyzed... but he doesn't have any personal experience with that.

Since Iggy says it's not totally literal, though, Yuya asks if it's kind of like missing a part of his soul.

[npcarnival]

He says yeah, it's like that. You just can't really count on that being a reference point for most people.

[hippocarnival]

"Yeah... it's not." Yuya makes a motion towards his chest, stopping halfway when he remembers his pendulum isn't around his neck right now. As an animal, the hesitance doesn't quite come across in his face, but he delays saying anything else for a minute.

"I'm kind of... I mean, my soul's in pieces too, and I've felt it missing, sometimes. It's kind of hollow." He pauses, again, before he shrugs. "I really can't tell you where it is, or get it back for you. But I think you will get it back, because nobody wants this to be forever, including the Ringmaster."

[npcarnival]

He says that he's told the same to Strange, but he doesn't see how the carnival expects this to play out in their favour. They keep saying that they intend this to be temporary, but he fails to see how that's practical, unless they are anticipating his cooperation.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya explains it's not about keeping Iggy to put things in their favor, just... not keeping him as a prisoner forever, because that's really terrible? They're not trying to fight the Courts, they're just scared and trying to survive. He wasn't around when all of this was happening, so maybe grabbing Ignatius and running just seemed like the best thing to do at the time. But they don't want to keep him from his own forever or hurt him more than he's been hurt.

But in the meantime, maybe they can find something to help each other with? He really can't get Ignatius his heart, or tell him where it is. But if he's going to offer something else, he's going to need to know more about what Iggy's trying to do here.

[npcarnival]

Ignatius seems frustrated as he grumbles something about how "wouldn't it be convenient for them if he just showed his hand?" He seems like he's trying to decide something.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya jokes lightly that it saves him from having to guess it--and he's showing Ignatius his hand. He's genuinely willing to trust Iggy if he'll trust him in turn.

He lowers himself a little more to Iggy's level and mentions that he knows that at the end of this, Ignatius is giving up his hold on Strange. Which Yuya is really glad about, and Ignatius can probably tell how much that means to all of them. They care about Strange, and he could have held it against them for something else... so is there something he wants out of this, or something he's looking for?

[npcarnival]

That's the thing, he finally admits as if grimly surrendering. He doesn't have a plan. He asked to come along because he thought there was a chance that his people would arrive at the same time, given how much the Summer Court discovered about the Silver Mirror... but it seems increasingly unlikely that it will happen.

It just seemed that doing something was better than doing nothing, than staying trapped on that little island and languishing away. He hates the feeling of idleness.

Yet, it seems absurd to advertise just how little control he has.

[hippocarnival]

Ah... Yuya's expression shifts with a little sadness. Feeling trapped enough to be hoping for a rescue is pretty awful.

He asks what Ignatius would do, if the Summer Court did show up and take him back. What would he tell them--would the Summer Court send even more people to try and kill them?

[npcarnival]

He isn't sure. He would have to ask some clarifying questions, at the very least.

Yet, he was never the one who decided to pursue any of these things. It's all be at the word of his Queen... but he gets the impression that even if the Summer Court were willing to offer a truce, the carnival wouldn't abide by its practices.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya nods, and admits that he thinks that what both Fae Courts do to people, those that become changelings and those that don't, is wrong. He's like to see them understand how much it hurts, and to stop...

But the Ringmaster didn't make the carnival with that in mind, and he can't speak for everyone that they're interested in trying to change that. Right now, their only goal is protecting themselves, because the Ringmaster doesn't think the Courts will ever give up on chasing her. The Miracles seemed like the best chance, just like taking Ignatius probably did at the time.

He gestures downward, saying right now their biggest concern is just not getting murdered or enslaved forever. A lot of them want to go home when their contracts are done.