lostcarnival | ⇨ POLARIS

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⇨ POLARIS

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.

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"Hm?" Syrlya looks between Strange and the board before finding his name. Oh, that's not good.

"Is the farming troublesome for you?" He doesn't know if he went into one of the other trials or not, but that was the bulk of the work.

"The farming is fine," Strange remarks, through gritted teeth. Back off now Syrlya, this is obviously a point of contention with Strange.

"West can barely lift a wheelbarrow and he's outstanding?!" Herbert can probably hear Strange kvetch, he's not even bothering to hide the fact that he's shading his fellow prisoners.

"The trials," Syrlya responds, absently rubbing his throat again as his voice shifts to something a little more somber. "The farming is to occupy us. What they really want is for us to their ourselves onto their tables for their experiments, and that is what they reward for performance."

He'a not bitter at all, though. Of course not.

"Then why not tell us that in the first place?!" Despite the fact that he's been working on training his mind and keeping his emotions steady, at this moment Strange doesn't care. If he had his magic, his hair would be on fire at this moment, he's just that blatantly angry and annoyed.

"If the trials are what matters, why even bother with this farming nonsense? Just strap us to a lab table and get it over with!"

"Why did the Prince set up that ridiculous schedule? To keep us focused and contained when they don't need to test us."

He folds his arms, meeting Strange's irritation with a more genera frustration. "We are test subjects, but I believe this is also how the Mother of Invention finds her changelings to keep. There is more incentive to cooperate with them, if only for the chance to make it stop by putting yourself on the other side. Those who are not capable are likely tested on until they are destroyed."

It's all manipulated in a way that only the Mother of Invention comes out victorious. It makes Syrlya, frankly, disgusted.

"Do not forget that nothing here is truly to your benefit, Strange. We are prisoners."

Syrlya says that after Strange has attempted to cajole one of the technicians into running a test on him just because he's so ignorant (and a little damn scared!) about how the Silver Mirror's changed him. That 'nothing here is to your benefit' falls on deaf ears as Strange stares at the productivity board with an expression of pure and utter loathing.

"I've been cooperating with them," he grumbles, still looking at that board with loathing. "Hell, I actually took incentive! I should at least be satisfactory."

His plan of 'work your way to the top' has hit a snag.

Syrlya is going to reach for Strange's shoulders to try and gently guide him away from the productivity board and back to the farm. Partly, it's because he has things he needs to ask that he needs Strange to calm down for.

"Which trial did you participate in?" He asks lightly. It certainly wasn't the death trial.

Who's ready for Syrlya to be so disappointed? Strange lets himself get guided away from the productivity board for a moment (though he's certainly going to go back later to try and figure out what to do next).

"I haven't participated in any trials yet. However, I asked if I could participate in one to better understand my connection to the Silver Mirror."

He at least realizes that the most likely answer he'll get with regards to that is 'what the hell', so Strange quickly continues explaining. "My eyes are mirrors, my scars are mirrors, and mirrors cover a large portion of my internal organs. It's obvious they want information on the Silver Mirror and it's obvious that I'm their best chance at getting it. It's better if this happens on something close to my own terms."

To Syrlya's credit, he doesn't slap Strange upside the head.

"What did I just say about it being on their terms? Of course they don't care about whatever you offer to make it easier on yourself."

His fingers grip tightly for a second before he removes his hands. "They had one related to... ressurection, and despite my current status it was apparently enough to perform to their satisfaction. You need only tolerate one, but--be careful which one you choose. Unpleasant is an understatement."

Strange rolls his eyes at Syrlya's statement. "I offered to make myself look useful. Making it easier on myself is an added bonus."

Like duh. That should be obvious! (only because it's obvious in Strange's mind.)

The longer they talk, the less work he can be doing...and also, Strange is still a little bitter and grumpy about Syrlya's everything. However, before he shuts down this conversation, he does want to know. "What happened in your trial?"

"And if you stopped thinking about only yourself you might realize how that doesn't matter!" He snaps, probably too loudly.

He pinches the bridge of his nose and sucks in a breath between his teeth. Strange is ever a test on his patience.

"They wanted to investigate if my soul had any abnormalities related to my death. I felt... something through it. And then they decapitated me a few times, I suppose to prove it really happened the first time!"

It sucked.

At the word 'decapitated', Strange can't help but wince. At that moment, he's eternally grateful that he decided to skip out on that trial.

"I'm sorry it happened."

Because...well, what else can he say?

Syrlya glowers at Strange for a beat, before pursing his lips in a tight line and looking back ahead.

"I have my doubts any of them will be any easier, but participation is the only way from slipping down into... whatever alternative torture and death comes from falling below 'Theta'."

And, well, Syrlya's a lot closer to that. Of course, given the way to survive is torture, they can't really afford this as a long term solution. Which, now that they're out of the ears of Technicians, Syrlya can get to the other important topic. "What happened to your contract with Ignatius while the Ringmaster had him captive?"

"It was still there," Strange explains. "It only vanished when Ignatius dissolved the contract himself."

Thankfully, Strange managed to pick up on what Sylrya's talking about. "It's probably the same now! As long as he's alive, our contracts with him are still in place. But as far as I can tell, there's no way we can use the damn thing to find where he is."

Ignatius might be able to use it to figure out where they were. But them finding him? Strange can't think of a way to do that.

"Of course we are going to find him." That's obvious as far as Syrlya's concerned, which is probably a weird stance to take as part of team torture. "But let us make sure we are going to make a difference when we do. What did her possession of Ignatius do to your contract? How much control did he have over you, and her over him?"

Strange can't help it: he gives Syrlya a weird look when Syr says that they're going to find Ignatius. Honestly, Strange'll believe it when he sees it, but he might as well talk to Syrlya in the hopes that talking this out will help them find something.

"What control the Ringmaster had over Ignatius was due to the fact that he was missing his Heart. She didn't 'possess' him or have him make a contract in the sense that you're thinking of. When Ignatius was in the carnival, I was under two distinctly different contracts. The Ringmaster's had more power over me but again, Ignatius was missing his heart. I assume right now, the multiple contracts I am under are all equal in strength."

Hey, it wasn't personal!

... Okay there was a little projecting and getting swept away with the power on Syrlya's end, but be didn't go in with the same personal baggage with Iggy and now he's an ally ostensibly, so sometimes that's how life goes. He put one of his friends in jail before.

"And that contract allows Fae to exert their will, doesn't it? If Ignatius has equal claim of us, perhaps his claim can be used to combat the claim of the Mother of Invention." And possibly allow them back to their full power as well.

"Perhaps. But considering that he's inevitably being tortured and strung up with iron at the moment..." Strange trails off. He doesn't need to say 'equal claim is no use if one of the fae that holds claim over them is most likely being experimented on and tortured', he's got a feeling Syrlya will piece that inference out anyway.

"We should keep an open mind for every possible solution, Strange. Perhaps there is a way we can use that connection even when he cannot actively exert it." Honestly this isn't even the most logically questionable solution he's ever put into motion.

"Did you even listen to what I was saying?" Strange can't help but respond, giving Syrlya a frown. Because it sounds to Strange like Syrlya is grasping at straws and ignoring all of the valid concerns that Strange is pointing out.

"If you're placing so much faith in this contract then make up for your previous mistakes and find Ignatius. Otherwise you're pinning your hopes on something that I'm afraid will disappoint you."

"Sorry, was your intention to play their game supposed to be any more reliable?" He almost spits it. He's not even completely against that idea, but...

"That could take years, Strange. Not everyone will last that long. We have to find a faster solution." And that means trying different avenues. Syrlya's not so sure their time is in stasis anymore, and he has no intention of losing anyone in the carnival like this.

"The fastest solution is also undoubtedly the hardest: finding and freeing Ignatius. He's the Conflagration. At his full power, he could destroy this place in one swoop."

And probably nuke all of them in the process, but that's a problem to deal with later. Strange senses that they're about to get into yet another stupid argument and he doesn't have the time or the patience for that. He pulls away from Syrlya for a moment and starts to look like he's going to leave.

"As it is, all you've got are hypotheticals and what-ifs. Good luck deciding which one you're going to act on."

"And you don't?!" Syrlya watches him turn to go, completely incredulous.

He throws his hands up in the air, turning to storm off in the other direction. "Fine! This is why you cannot be trusted with the militia, so I don't know why I expected anything different!"

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⇨ POLARIS

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