⇨ POLARIS 3.0

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 115
Where: Polaris
What: On the morning of day 115, a couple hours before the technicians would come to pick up the test subjects, the escape plan will officially come into effect. If your character has been left out of the loop up till this point, feel free that someone hastily explains the plan during the initial phase! The meat of everything else will be played out via megathreads and any private toplevels people want to make.
Warnings: Probably violence.

PEER REVIEW↴ The plan starts with getting everyone out of their cells. Childermass is going to be using his Gilded Mark to enhance his shadow movement abilities, unabling him to teleport himself and other people out of containment. If your character has other ways of escaping they are free to pursue that, but on a base level, it can be assumed that everyone gets out thanks to Childermass. (Thanks Childermass!) Once everyone has been removed from their cells by some means or another, they will be forced to split into teams as swiftly as possible, as the moment people start breaking out, negative attention from the staff will start building. The area is poorly guarded at first, but as people become aware of the breakout, more will arrive. Gild, speaking on behalf of her inside plant, will say that those that 1) want to get their stuff back, 2) want to find Ignatius, should get the assistance of their allied Deltas to access sector A5. From there, they will have to access Polaris's storage in A3, a neighbouring sector, and find access to C2, the station where Ignatius is being held. They should expect to be met with armed resistance, but with any luck allies will be there to assist them. In general, characters will be most effective if they back one of these major objectives: ► TEAM LOOT: This team is trying to get back the items and pets that were confiscated when the group was brought into Polaris. Their objective, according to their allies on the inside, is to get to A5, and then make their way to A3. The important thing is being able to locate their stuff among a sea of other items, and to make it through security in order to reclaim it. Gild's plant has said that they will assist with this. After getting these items, Team Loot may wish to merge with Team Rescue. ► TEAM RESCUE: This team's primary focus is to get to A5 and then make their way to C2. If desired, they may wait for or join with Team Loot, or they may strike out ahead in order to take advantage of the element of surprise. The key factors are obtaining a way to access C2, as well as being prepared for armed conflict with the technicians guarding it, as well as possibly the Mother of Invention herself. Though, the ideal is that Gild will be distracting here at that time. ► TEAM DISTRACTION: This team can do their thing wherever they please, as their main intent is to sew general discord and distract the staff from the teams doing more important things. They should be prepared for armed resistance, but what tactics they pursue beyond that point are highly variable. ► TEAM FORTRESS: This team is attempting to set up a protective base of operations in the original sector in order to survive the conflict and protect their noncombatant comrades. How they accomplish this is also highly variable. Other objectives may exist, of course, and can be made with their own separate top levels. Chunks of these megathreads will have to be played out in summary form, so when characters are simply trying to get from place to place and specifics aren't necessary, feel free to stick to that format. Assume that everyone is already out of their cells for the purpose of the megathreads. Here is a shitty map of how the sectors connect, from a side view of the central Polaris hub.

Comments

[whattaprick]

The scuffle, if it can be called that much, has drawn attention even from those not directly involved in it. There isn't much time to make a decision, and Lambert literally has no idea what's going on except 'sure are a lot of people yelling over there,' but a murmur into the texting ring is all it takes.

While Yuya's trying to barricade the doorway, the shadows in the room stir.

Ignatius may or may not be thrilled to find a second, much healthier-looking Ignatius stepping out of them, grabbing his shoulder with a hand that doesn't quite match up to the illusory form, his own voice speaking quick and low.

"Time to go." With that, Lambert ungently attempt to shoves Ignatius back towards the shadows, and Childermass. It doesn't matter where they go, just that he's somewhere else other than trapped inside here, in this room. He really fucking hopes a fae can be pulled through shadows, or at least can get himself into a form that's a bit more portable, but honestly, who knows?

[npcarnival]

You can probably transport him, but it'd have to be willingly at this point. As it is, Ignatius seems conflicted. He gets shoved back, looking initially baffled - but he's smart enough to recognize an illusion of himself when he sees one. Mostly because he obviously knows that's not him.

The Mother is obviously trying to get his attention, and he's not so sure he wants to hand it over to these two with no input.

"Stop it," he growls, looking at Lambert. "I can help her..."

[whattaprick]

"Can you even help yourself?" This is like, when that nasty little voice of self-doubt starts trying to tear-down your self-esteem, except it's in front of you, wearing your face and looking incredibly unimpressed.

Nonetheless, if he can't be budged, Lambert's going to give him the benefit of the doubt this once.

"What's your plan?"

[scientificist]

What is HAPPENING? Who is this? Is this a plan by the Mother? Probably not, Ignatius seems fine with them. Is this Mark?! Herbert stops looking between Ignatius and the door and just looks at the Ignatii.

"Help with what?!" he demands quietly. "What the hell is going on?!"

[kingsroads]

Thankfully for everyone, Jonathan 'still has that blood contract where he's going to try and kill Lambert at some point' Strange has absolutely no idea of what's going on inside the room with Lambert, Ignatius, & the rest. He's trying really hard not to drown right now instead.

He's focusing his magic on the water, murmuring a constant stream of incantations to try and counteract what he's fairly certain is the Mother of Invention hijacking Rita's magic and take control of the water himself. Some of the water is still trying to drag Strange in, as a tendril of water starts to wrap around his ankle. However, a different tendril shoots over towards Rita, as he attempts to have it drag her in as well.

[npcarnival]

Strange's persistence forces her to take a break from tormenting Ignatius and wave a hand, a rush of magical energy flooding through Rita that seems faerie in origin. It redirects the water Strange is trying to attack her with and refocuses it on trying to dunk him. She slowly gets to her feet.

"I can sense you... through her heart," Rita says, coming to the door of the shop. Yuya's barrier is further inside, so unless someone physically stops her, she's coming in to the front area, now. "Are you impressed with what I did? It shouldn't be possible. Yet, I succeeded where nature suggested otherwise..."

[npcarnival]

Hearing the Mother speak through Rita is like claws on a chalkboard, but Ignatius stays focused on his inexplicable twin, anyway. It's a bit too familiar, after Shabon.

"...If she's really... If she's really my faeblood now, then I should have more control over her than the Mother does," Ignatius says. He's not speaking from experience - he's never had a faeblood before. Yet, that unique connection should be far stronger than any kind of 'technology' the Mother could muster.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya doesn't move, staying in place to hold the shield up. He's trying not to be nervous, but his hands shake a little and there's open disturbance on his expression.

"Stop!" He shouts at her, voice tight. "Stop using Rita to get at him!"

It's an empty demand because Yuya can't do anything about it. He can't even be totally confident standing here with his shield will do anything against them if she really wanted to push through. But he doesn't want to just cower from her using his friend, their friend like some puppet. There's a deep offense that keeps him standing despite his fear.

[npcarnival]

"Boy!" Ignatius snaps at Yuya, turning his way instead. The kid keeps yelling ineffectual things at the Mother, and it seriously isn't helping. "Calm yourself. Your demands mean nothing to her."

[scientificist]

Apparently this is 'don't explain anything to Herbert hour' so Herbert decides to do his usual and just act like he knows what's going on.

And he does, at least, have some idea what Ignatius is talking about, even if he's not sure how it would have happened exactly. Using science to make someone someone else's magic child? He guesses? Incredible. He's also seen a fae order their faeblood before and expect them to obey so he can make that connection. All that's left is why Ignatius is stalling.

"Then you tell her to stop--remove the Mother from her head. She's obviously fishing for those results but does it really matter? Stop...stalling!"

[npcarnival]

Because he's scared, is the short version. Ignatius doesn't show his uncontrolled emotions very boldly, but it's what his reluctance points to. He knows what he could try doing, but there's the chance that he's somehow falling for the Mother's trap. What if fighting her for control of Rita will somehow give her access to him again?

Herbert is lucky that Ignatius owes him for past services, or he would probably be lashing out in his direction right now. What on earth does this man know of these things? Probably nothing.

All he does is give Herbert a cutting look and fall silent.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya bites his lip, expression twisting as he turns to look at Ignatius. It's true, and he knows it, but it still stings to hear out loud how meaningless his actions are. Strange told him he didn't need to try and save everyone personally, but it's really hard to shake off the desire to be responsible for his friends. He does, at least, stop trying to talk to the Mother of invention in Rita, just holding his shield up.

He worries over his lip briefly. "Rita's strong. If you can give her a chance to fight back..."

15 hours late with starbucks except it's cold and stale

[flashover]

Yukio falls, and the Mother takes Rita. Whatever happens after that doesn't seem to matter much to Rin, who rushes to his fallen twin. He takes the sleeping-gun, just in case the Mother decides to take him again, and he holds Yukio in his lap, fretting and worrying.

“Yukio! Yukio, can you hear me…?”

Either way, if Rita gets rescued, Rin has Yukio contained.

[whattaprick]

"That means using the bloodbond," Lambert catches on immediately to what Ignatius is getting at, ignoring Herbert completely. The implications are clear enough to him, as is the realization Rita will hate that ... but she'll hate being used to hurt her allies even more. The mother's words, on the other hand, are a cause for concern. If she can sense Ignatius through Rita's new heart -- a procedure he knows in painfully intimate detail, now, thanks to the transferred memories -- then trying to keep Ignatius away from her might be a losing battle.

"There was something a teacher of mine used to say," he starts. "'Never pounce on an advantage as soon as it appears. Wait till it stands to have maximum effect.'"

His eyes search Ignatius's face, trying to find something more than half-baked uncertainty and fear there. His expression hardens.

"If you know about the bond, then she probably does too. She might be testing that." Seems like the sort of sick thing the Mother of Invention would be into. Either way, they can't drag along the unwilling, so he'll finish by shaking his head.

"Either stay or go, general, just lead."

[kingsroads]

Second verse, same as the first. Strange continues to try and match what Rita's doing and gains enough control of the water to send another tendril towards Rita, though this time he's aiming to have the water envelop her head. If he were at full power, then this would be easy enough. But the fact of the matter is that at this moment, Rita's stronger than him.

"Nature has limits for a reason!" Strange yells in Rita's direction. "This—" But he gets cut off as some of the water goes for his head and completely envelops it. Strange can only make a gagging spluttering noise because at the moment, wizard is straight up about to drown.

[scientificist]

"Or just stand there," gripes Herbert, absolutely refusing to take the point of Ignatius' look. "She might only want to, stare at you! Can we please do something--are we just letting her come in? I doubt that shield will stand up against her? Why don't we leave if we can, if using your, bond won't work?" He was already freaked out and he's obviously not getting any calmer.

[npcarnival]

Luckily for Strange the MoI isn't super interested in killing him right there, so it mostly just wants to dunk him in the pool and keep him distracted. Drowning, for the moment, is fairly distracting, so it works out.

Rita gestures her hand again, batting away the next tendril of water with force borrowed from the fae controlling her body.

"Limits exist to be broken," she says. The Mother focuses on the connection between their hearts, reaching out to Ignatius in turn.

[npcarnival]

Ignatius feels her attempt, and it sends a chill down his spine. He's reached out to Rita a few times during this whole thing, and he's grown increasingly familiar with it - this is all wrong, though. He hates it. He hates that the Mother was the one that made it happen in the first place.

He looks at Lambert, almost as if he resents the direction, and then moves to shove his way through Yuya's barrier, heading towards the outside. He'll pass through anyone inside of the shop, arriving to meet Rita at the door.

"There you are," Rita says as she sees him, apparently fascinated. "A fast recovery... but not complete, is it?"

Ignatius approaches and grabs Rita by the shoulders, with the MoI apparently allows. Pushing her outside of the shop, he stares into her eyes.

"Get out," he growls, and in that instant, Rita will feel sensation again - like those strings are there, pulling at her, but then like a fire is rushing through her, burning them away. It hurts, but with the flames comes a fraction of her freedom. The MoI isn't quite gone, but Rita is aware, and she can push back.

[anti_nonsense]

She was going to fight. Rita was going to fight with everything she had when the Mother of Invention tried to invade her mind... but instead, she finds herself here, paralyzed and staring up into Ignatius's eyes.

How did she get here? This isn't right. Did she really lose herself so easily...?

She tries to speak, but something's holding her down. A powerful, heavy presence, invisible bonds, a puppeteer's strings...

Get out. That presence doesn't belong here. It has to go. She'll latch on to that feeling of fire inside of her. She'll try to fan the flames, to encourage them to grow stronger and burn away more and more of those strings. She'll muster up all the anger and determination she can find and try to scream.

Get out, get out, GET OUT!

[npcarnival]

There isn't any choice but to follow through. After he's latch on to Rita, and he feels her consciousness start to resurface, and he can see Strange struggling with the Mother's attacks... the point of no return is here. He pours himself into disrupting the connection, demanding that his kindred come forward.

As the connection reaches it's peak, however, something reaches out from the Mother's side, straight through Rita and into his own essence - Rita will feel her hands lift, and grab Ignatius inside of the framework hole still opening his chest. The nanotech poison in his own body surges with her power, sending a shock that shakes him right down to his soul.

He collapses at the same moment Rita does, the Mother having loosed her control over her body. The water trying to strangle Strange falls. Ignatius lands on his side, his body glowing more blue than red for a moment, before gradually fading back to that ugly purple, swirling with renewed energy. Rita will find herself in control once again, her body limp, the presence of the Mother seemingly vanishing from the implant.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya slowly lowers his hands and the shield as Ignatius pushes by. He follows after a beat but keeps a few feet of distance as he watches with hope that Ignatius can free Rita.

But something takes a turn for the worse, Ignatius turns colors and they both collapse.

"Rita! Ignatius!" He scrambles to their side immediately, falling to his knees and reaching to shake them both.

[anti_nonsense]

Crumpled on the floor, Rita's quick to stir with a groan, groping weakly at her face until she manages to get a firm grip on her visor, which she pulls away, revealing eyes wide with bewilderment.

"What the hell just happened...?" she mutters, looking first to Yuya, then to Ignatius.

[scientificist]

Herbert runs an anxious hand through his hair (which doesn't really help and just makes him feel a bit worse with the soul-coldness) and hesitantly approaches the door to peer out.

"Is the Mother back in Yukio?" he projects, not yet feeling up to leaving the room. "What's happened to Ignatius?"

[whattaprick]

Well, that’s that. But if Ignatius fading to blue means what Lambert thinks it means, then—

Lambert flexes his fingers, trying to call forth a bit of flame.

[kingsroads]

Hey, he's not drowning any more. As the water falls around him, the flames of Strange's hair start valiantly trying to light themselves on fire again. As both Rita and Ignatius were outside, he was able to see what exactly happened...though his understanding of what was going on is still a little hazy.

Strange has to take a moment to get his bearings and cough up lake water before he woozily starts to make his way towards the room.

"Somebody do something about that thing in their heads!" Strange yells, not really up to doing anything right now because again, almost drowned. Any more yelling is put on pause as Strange coughs up some more water.