⇨ POLARIS

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Days 102 - 109
Where: Polaris
What: With the Ringmaster kidnapped and the rest of the carnival imprisoned, characters find themselves at the mercy of a Winter Fae called the Mother of Invention.
Warnings: Graphic experimentation in places.

TRIALS & TRIBULATION↴ After a day of cleansing and processing, where all the belongings and attire of their old lives are stripped away and replaced with something newer and more form fitting, the former members of the carnival will find themselves let loose into the Farm for the first time. A sizable green area, filled with orchards growing inorganic looking fruits and field ready for tending, the Farm is where they will be spending their days for the forseeable future. Food and drink are no longer needed, and so every day is an endless cycle of work. Technicians are seen only when necessary, and when being taken from your place of work to your lonesome cells at night. Every day, there are new postings on the "Production Board", where various dire sound scientific trials ask for subjects. The majority won't be forced, at least not yet, but the system is at work to push its participants to the brink and force their hand. After all, volunteers make the best subjects. ► PRODUCTIVITY: As explained elsewhere, characters will be forced to compete to attain enough Productivity Point to be considered Satisfactory. There are literally not enough points to go around for everyone to attain this, which means that at least some people will be deemed "Below Expectations" by the end of the first four-day cycle. What this means has yet to be discovered, but the Technicians have grimly warned against it. Productivity involves many tasks, including orchard picking, tilling, planting, harvesting, watering, maintenance, and more. Any task you can think of that would take place on a plantation is applicable here. Beyond that, the Production Board awaits you, offering precious Productivity Points in exchange for your cooperation. How you become Satisfactory is up to you, but it's every person for themselves. Only one person can turn in the credit for harvesting or preparing fields, and while you can certainly try to help others by letting them take credit for your work, it's a sure fire way to fall behind the herd, especially if you are already in a low Classification. Fruits and fields will miraculously grow overnight, and will be ready for a new day when you are. You've been told not to eat anything you harvest, but right now you aren't hungry anyway. ► POLARIS BY NIGHT: During the night, you are left alone to your thoughts and maybe an annoying roommate. Solo or in pairs, the entire night will be spent in small sleep pods, as shown on the locations post. Is it possible to sneak out? It doesn't seem like it is, but who is to say? The real question is if you want to dare to try. There is one hour of rest before and after seven hours of darkness. Even if you don't usually have to sleep, you'll find yourself oddly weary and inclined to rest. Supernaturally, almost. ► PARTICIPATION: Sometimes participation in experimental trials is manditory, sometimes it isn't. You are free to handwave your character having been pulled aside for minor examinations, such as blood tests or aura scans. Each time, you will be pulled into a separate part of the station and analyzed by a Technician and heavily automated machinery. Anymore more complex than basic check-up level tests will be posted about in a section called "TRIALS" in the body of the post below.

Comments

[starseedling]

Steven's ears fold back sympathetically, knowing how much he'd hate to be in a situation where the had to do a trial or risk punishment. He'd been very relieved to see that he was doing satisfactory, even if a more thorough examination of the board had left him agitated all over again.

"I'm not going to," he says, his tail thrashing a little as he speaks. he doesn't know if that's what Childermass was implying, but he's going to say it anyway. "But... there's gotta be a way we can all help each other, right? Like... what if we took turns trying to get people out of Eta first? If we could do that..."

[atouts]

"That risks others falling in rank, though," Childermass points out the immediate folly, "And then we just have more Etas to try and help. I know you want to be kind, Steven, but the odds seem stacked against that here."

[starseedling]

"But they're making it impossible!" Steven blurts out, his emotions getting the better of him. "There's... There's not enough for us to do, and even if we do the trials, it just makes working harder and then..."

He clenches his fists, looking down at the ground. It's all some kind of crazy mind game, that much is obvious. They're all set up to fail, set up so that it's impossible for everyone to make it through unscathed.

"There has to be a point... if we can figure out what that is, then..."

[atouts]

"I imagine that's an experiment all on its own," Childermass mutters. "See how long it takes for us to fall to fighting for who's on top, who's willing to throw the others away... This is a Winter domain. It's not as straightforward but it'll always be survival of the fittest."

[starseedling]

He hates that idea even more, when it comes down to it. Could that really be the point, to make them fight each other? Probably. Childermass would know better them him, anyway. The Summer Court was a lot of things, but it wasn't so fixated on those kinds of ideas.

He swallows, trying to process that, his thoughts flickering back to things from Portland, feelings from Portland. He doesn't quite look at Childermass.

"And... you don't want to try to be the fittest, right?" he asks, softly. "If that's what it takes."

[atouts]

There's a long, uncomfortable silence from Childermass before he answers that. He can easily guess what Steven might be thinking. It's because of him that his Portland self suffered such a terrible fate, on the Rose Queen's orders. Throwing him to the Summer Court had just been another way of protecting himself in the end, even if he did try and make amends later.

Will he do it again here? Betray his fellows for his own life?

"I don't want to," is his answer that ends the silence. He can't quite look at Steven, either, instead focusing on the board. "But I don't know if I'll have that choice."

[starseedling]

Steven's ears flatten again, his tail curling around his feet. He doesn't really know what to say. He hates this. He hates that the stuff Childermass is talking about is even a possibility, that it's something he would witness unfolding in the weeks to come.

"Can't we just... try?" he asks, his voice a little tight, trying so hard to hope. "If it's all going to end up like that anyway... what is there to lose?"

[atouts]

A lot, depending on who's trying, and Childermass isn't in the mood to pull punches today (when is he ever, though). He can only shake his head, looking down at the disheartened Steven again.

"The only ones who can afford to are the ones already at the top," he tells him outright, "And who are we to make them jeopardize themselves? If it's what they choose to do themselves, very well, but I'll have no part in someone else's downfall."