⇨ 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

NIGHT 107

[insidescoop]

[Carly is feeling pretty cheated to say the least. Actually, as soon as the cell door closes she's more than ready to voice it.] HHhmnnnnggh...! I know why they're doing it, but they could have at least taken back the hunger after I signed up for the trial, delays or otherwise.... [she grumbles, arms around her middle as she grimaces.]

Just what would they need that they don't already have anyway...

[She's yet to realize who she's rooming with.]

[reflash]

[He's been the room for a few seconds, and then in comes...


oh no. This is... this really couldn't be any worse, and Yukio freezes. He kind of stupidly feels like maybe if he doesn't move, she won't notice him. Or maybe she won't recognize him?]

[fortuneglass]

[...Oh. Carly blinks.

And blinks. And-] ....Ohh! Yukio!~

....

You're back in one piece right..~?

[There is a rather curious aura of Warning about her, but that might just be the odd hue all of her visible light just turned.]

[reflash]

[Since when were they on a given-name basis? Did his dark half get that close to her? Is she just that kind of person?]

I'm fine now, Nagisa-san. I apologize for my actions during our last conversation.

[Please don't change colors at him?????]

[fortuneglass]

[The answer is Yes. The question it answers is a Mystery.

At least the colours are normal again.] Heh? ...Apologize? That side of you was probably the more sensible you know..! I can't believe part of you would actually kill half of your soul..! Do you even realize what kind of danger you were almost in?!

[reflash]

[His claws scrape against his palm, not enough to draw blood (this time) but enough to sting. He knows he was in danger. He knows that if he had the chance, he would still try and kill half his soul.]

I do. [He smiles, too polite, the sort of smile that says "don't come closer".]

Thank you for your concern, but I assure you that it won't happen again.

[insidescoop]

[Considering these close quarters, that's a pretty terrible smile to make. Not that she moves any closer, but they're probably like three feet apart as it is.

Carly simply frowns, and huffs.] Well I'd hope we don't split apart...I meant everything I said you know! Those two sides of you, they're absolutely key to keep a healthy balance! There's no way you would have functioned after....

[She sighs, and leans back against the wall.] ...I know we don't talk much, but I still don't want to watch anyone here just...destroy themselves, you know..?

[reflash]

[Not functioning like that would have been better than staying like this, it would have been hard and he would have disintegrated eventually, but it would have been so much easier.

He can't turn his back on her and just climb into his bed like he would do if she were Rin or Shura. So he smiles, relentlessly and politely.]

I understand. Thank you for the concern, but I'm fine now.

[insidescoop]

[.........................................]

....

[Carly squints.

Why does this feel like she's a telemarketer being awkwardly brushed off.] ..........Are you sure about that?

[reflash]

[His claws again, pinpricks against his palms as his hands curl into loose fists.]

Yes. [A lie. An absolute lie, and it makes him feel sick. He wonders if she'll be able to pick up on that, with how much she's already seen the worst, most pathetic parts of him.]

[insidescoop]

[That doesn't help. That doesn't help at all. Actually-]

...This...

...Are you mad? ...About what I said to part of you? [He remembers that right? She's certain he must.]

[reflash]

Wh---? [The question catches him completely off guard and snaps his focus back to her.]

No, I'm... [She thinks he's angry at her? He isn't. He's furious with himself, with the fragment of humiliating memory.

Yukio bows, not too much but enough to make it clear that he's apologizing to her.]

I'm sorry. My actions were inexcusable, and I should never have bothered you like that.

[fortuneglass]

Your 'murderous' half, or the half I was talking to? [She remarks dryly.] Because the one I was talking to?

I wasn't being bothered. I meant everything I said, in that conversation!

[reflash]

[That really doesn't make him feel any better about the situation.]

I d-- [He cuts himself off, because it's an obvious lie. He obviously did mean every single humiliating word.]

I don't normally act like that. I'm sorry.

[insidescoop]

Eh?

....Phhff... [Sorry, she has to giggle at that.] ...O...Obviously not, you know..! You were cut into two halves- from what I could tell, I was dealing with the side of you that had regrets, and the capacity to care about your actions.... [She phrases it so nicely, doesn't she.]

...The part that balances out your ability to act, and focus, right?

[reflash]

The embarrassing part. [He mutters, then cuts himself off because NO WAY ARE WE DOING THIS AGAIN he's not going to talk to her about anything beyond surface-level conversational topics. There's just a weird feeling of artificial closeness still clouding his mind after whatever the hell his dark half did.]

Right now I'm back in one piece, so there's no reason to focus on what happened last time we spoke.

[insidescoop]

[For someone who is far from being a parent, Carly has a pretty good level frown ready for detected 'bullshit'.]

...I won't say you're wrong if you thought it was embarrassing, [She eventually says.] ...But it's nothing to be embarrassed about, you should know. ...It was serious stuff, [Carly continues.] With serious repercussions, for that matter.

...The sort of thing I'm keeping between us, out of respect, [She adds, inclining her head.] ...I can't force you to talk about it.

...But I can tell you it's important. And that I really did mean everything I said.

[reflash]

I know you did. [People mean a lot of things. They say a lot of things that they believe but that ultimately don't actually matter, that don't really mean anything.]

Thank you for keeping it between us. [And that's where it's going to stay. That one conversation, between them, never mentioned again.]

[insidescoop]

Then..

...You remember how the conversation ended. [Not getting outta THISSSSSS one!]

[reflash]

[His claws scrape against his palms, and he just wants to get out of this. He's tired, exhausted in every possible way and forcing himself through this by sheer willpower ("effort") alone.]

I remember our entire conversation. [Don't do this to him.] That does not mean that I want to continue it.

[fortuneglass]

Then there are two ways we can do this~ [she chirps 'delightfully'.]

...Because one way or another, it won't go away just like that. ...Obviously I can't speak for while we're here...

...But you need to talk to someone, at the least, about it. You need to pace yourself- let yourself have that breathing space- otherwise, that pedestal you've gotten onto won't just break.

...And, [She adds, leaning forwards somewhat to glare.] ...Even if it's not the same life, don't just assume no one can offer some advice for it..! I might not know all about yours, but you sure don't know much about everyone else here either!

Don't tell someone off about that until you try to get to know someone else as well!

[reflash]

["Pedestal" she says, like he's not just trying to keep his head above the water, like he's not drowning while people stand in boats around him and say "you should talk to someone about this". She acts like he has some kind of choice about this, like he can just take a step back and take a break. Like she can offer some kind of useful advice when all she's giving him is something that won't work.]

I'm sorry, [he says, to shut her down] It wasn't my intention to tell you off.

[fortuneglass]

[Hey, pedestal was his choice of words to begin with.

And she can't offer better advice if someone won't even talk about the nitty gritty of the issue.

Statements like that sure don't help.] ...No I know that. You said it under pressure. That you might have been the side that cares, but it was definitely the side that didn't see any ways out either.

It's easier to try to find options when you know they're there though, isn't it? [Easier to start being open to the idea of someone empathizing when someone points out the hypocrisy in saying 'you don't understand', maybe.

Carly sighs and shakes her head.]

...Talk to someone. Openly, please, when you can. Maybe it can't be until we get out of this mess, but later is better than never.

...I don't like watching people drown. ...Especially when I can't swim too well myself, you know? [she jokes lamely.

She swims just fine of course. It's the metaphorical drowning, that she has experience with.]

[reflash]

[His breath catches slightly as he tries to respond. Talking (even like this) just brings that ache back up to the surface (he hasn't been able to bury it deeply enough).]

Thank you for your concern. [Shut her down. Stop this conversation. That's the only way he can get out of this, even if it's rude.]

Like you said, that was the side that-- [it wasn't really a side, it was all of him. He can't see a way out.] couldn't see a way out.

[fortuneglass]

It was also the side the other one wanted to kill.

...Half of your soul. Gone. When the Ringmaster was like that, even the Huntsman waited until she was back together before moving. Even her enemy couldn't gain from her in pieces! [...she remembers as much anyway. It doesn't say good things about what killing them in pieces would have done though.]

One side couldn't see a way out. But the other one seemed to think being crippled or dead was better, [she emphasizes lowly, flames and light both reflecting her mood.]

So you'll have to excuse me- but I'm going to keep being concerned.