lostcarnival | ⇨ POLARIS 3.0

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⇨ POLARIS 3.0

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.

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Peridot has been on scene for a few minutes now, drawn in by the commotion but unable to act or help in any meaningful way. She hates being idle, being useless. She listens to the explanation of what is wrong with Ignatius in the hopes that maybe she can lend a hand where tech is involved, but of course that winds up being just as far outside her grasp as anything else on this stupid station...

Ignatius looks bad. The Mother being not-distracted enough to possess the Deltas and blather creepy things through them doesn't bode well for how their other fae backup is doing... As much as she'd like to think that they could take down their captor without any sort of fae help, she's also had far too much experience with their kind by this point to believe it to be that easy.

They need Ignatius in order to get out of here, and they need him to be free of the Mother's influence. There's only one thing she can think to do to help. She just hopes it's effective enough to make burning this favor worth it.

Quietly, she shuffles off the sidelines and directly up to Ignatius. Peridot has no idea how the heck using this boon on someone else is supposed to work; does she need to be touching him or something? It couldn't hurt, right?

If she can reach, she'll tap Ignatius lightly on the forehead with one claw and hold it there. Squeezing her eyes shut in both concentration and embarrassment, she says aloud: "Uh. Creation? If you're listening... It would be really helpful if you could burn out these nanites and give Ignatius the power to slay the Mother of Invention and get us all the heck out of here."

She flinches and cracks one eye open, waiting to see if anything actually happens, or if she just made a big fool of herself.

Ignatius is in a state of barely consciousness, so overwhelmed with pushing back against the elemental misalignment that he can only hazily glance through cracked open eyes as Peridot taps on him. He senses the warmth of the blanket, and he senses the presence of others, but right now he's so focused on maintaining his presence of will that he can't really do anything about it.

Creation isn't always obvious when it works, or how it works. When it comes to responding to requests, it doesn't pay much attention to specific wording, and instead to intent, and flows with the path of nature to make it happen. Healing, strengthening, stopping pain. Those are all things it can be used for in great effect. Sometimes, though, a heavier and more obvious hand is needed.

Everyone in the area will feel Creation's presence, then - like a holy ghost that flickers between them, until it settles into its target. Ignatius's skin will start to glow more vibrantly again, but differently - in a flash of blue, and then a flash of red. What is perhaps unexpected, of course, is the fact that Ignatius cries out as it takes hold.

He rolls around beneath the blanket like he's sweating out a terrible fever, turning onto his front and bracing his hands against the ground as he tries to keep himself steady, muscles straining. Finally, it's all he can manage to say:

"Get back," he breathes. "I can't..."

Lambert doesn’t even notice what Peridot’s up to, considering he’s opening his mouth to respond when Strange’s talons dig into his arm and shit, right, that fucking contract—

He’s immediately distracted by the hum of a familiar presence in the air, and Ignatius’s order. Back? Where the hell is back? But a fire elemental telling them to get back should probably be listened to.

“Get behind something or to the water!” he bellows, and he’s going to straight up attempt to grab Strange up and hoist him over his shoulder — he can deal with this shit later — and make a run for said water, aiming to launch them in.

The fur on Peridot's tail poofs out in alarm as she trips over herself and tumbles to the floor. She'd already taken a few steps back when Ignatius started crying out, but the verbal warning straight up sends her scurrying for cover, galloping across the floor on all fours. What the hell has she done, ALL SHE WANTED TO DO WAS HELP!

Rin, still holding the unconscious Yukio, hears the mess going on and hears Ignatius' warning. Something big is about to happen, isn't it?

He hoists his brother on his shoulder and runs out, jumping into the fountain. He submerges his brother, keeping his nose and mouth above the water, and crouches down to cover as much of himself as he can.

This is....troublingly like everything Herbert was worried would happen before Peridot ever showed up to prod Ignatius in an important way.

He grabs the blanket because they really can't afford to lose more stuff at this point and runs for the inside of the tuck shop and the back room again. He's also going to close the door if he has time for all the good that will do. If he has to exist as a veiny green skeleton from now on he's going to be so irritated.

Yuya recognizes it in an instance, this feeling. He hadn't known Peridot had a favor from Creation, but his expression lightens up because while it hurts for now, he knows it has to be helping.

"It's okay," Yuya reaches with intent to put his hand on Ignatius' shoulder, for comfort and to steady him as he rolls over. And then Ignatius tells him to step back, and he's confused?

Until it occurs to him oh, fire. Explosions. It might end up being a little more literal in this case.

He sputters, snapping his attention to Rita before he lunges. Ignatius rolling off of him gives him the space, at least, to spring himself up enough to dive for Rita in an attempt to throw his arms around her waist and half pushing, half dragging with all the wait of his body to take her backwards towards the water. It's really hard to get straight like this, and he trips and doesn't move as quickly as Lambert as he scrambles.

Wait. Creation is actually responding? This looks like a hell of a response, at that.

As Ignatius calls for them to get back, it takes an extra moment to sink in for Rita. She then tries to pull herself up to her feet, and falters. She's not sure she'll be able to steady herself and get moving in time, but suddenly, Yuya's tackling her and at the very least, she's moving.

She cries out in surprise as they both stumble over the edge of the platform, but instinctively flaps her wings to create some extra drag as they plummet into the water below.

There's a flare of energy that envelopes him, though most will be busy fleeing at the time. There is a rush of heat, like being near a bonfire with gasoline thrown on top, and then a wave of cold. Then, there's a wave of something in between.

Ignatius is bent over, his arms wrapped around his body, his physical form blurring and reshaping like it did when he regained his heart. Become something ethereal, the metal still inside of him is rejected, spat out onto the ground with singe marks and frost.

The colors blur and congeal until they become a blinding white, a white that feels just like Creation. It hurts the eyes to look at, and Ignatius cries out again in alarm - though not pain. Light floods the area, but not just that of fire. It's something more than that. In those same moments, Rita will feel something change inside of her as well, attuned to the spirit of her 'maker'.

It ends and Ignatius is still bent over himself, white fire burning from his head and down his back, and from his clawed fingers and toes. His tail has re-taken its place, and glowing white scales have reformed to scatter across his shoulders and back.

There is a familiar aura around him, one that feels like the Blue Rose but different and unconnected. A new combination of opposite poles that has only just come into being. Ignatius, personally, looks dazed and utterly caught off guard by whatever what just happened to him.

Rita's flailing around in the water as she feels a strange sensation in her own body. She treads water for a few moments, holding a hand over her heart with a ponderous expression... then reaches out to grab Yuya's arm and pull him close enough to wrap an arm around his chest. Focusing on her blastia, she's able to make both of them levitate, and once they're out of the water, she flaps her wings to help guide them back to where they were before, where Ignatius now stands.

She lets go of Yuya the moment their feet touch the ground, then takes an uneasy step forward, eyes wide as she looks over Ignatius's changed form.

"What... just happened?" she breathes, awed at the transformation. It looks like a miracle just happened, as much as she'd rather not use such an unscientific word for it. But perhaps more importantly, she'll ask Ignatius, "...How do you feel?"

Yuya's grip on Rita ends up lose as he wings flap, and he scrambles when they hit the water to tilt his head back and keep it above the surface. He calms a little when he feels Rita grab hold of him, looking at her with his shoulders slumping as she lifts him up out of the water. He tries to catch sight of Strange and Lambert, but there's no time to call to them while Rita brings him right back up with her.

Yuya stumbles back a bit, turning with Rita and staring in wide-eyed awe at Ignatius. His gaze locks onto the now white fire, and then Ignatius' face.

"It's Creation." He puts a hand to his chest, able to pick up at least that much familiarity. Something Creation changed in him, probably not exactly like it's changed something in Yuya but close enough that he can understand this isn't like simply being gifted its power.

Herbert really hadn't managed to get very far into the tuck shop when the light hit and he ended up wondering whimsically for a moment whether this was what it felt like at the centre of a nuclear blast. But it clearly wasn't that, it was just...bright. He's hesitant to go check when the light dims again but he supposes...he may as well?

Tailtip twitching but otherwise not visibly worried, he turns and walks back out--then immediately frowns, peering at Ignatius.

"Are you......feeling. Better?" he tries.

Upon realizing that they haven't all be incinerated, Peridot cautiously pokes her head out from behind whatever cover she happens to have found.

What she sees makes her eyes practically sparkle with excitement.

"HAH! Hahahaha! HAH!" she cries, jumping out and pumping both fists in the air triumphantly. "It worked! He's healed! I am INCREDIBLE!"

Well, they're not all incinerated! Rin grabs his soaking wet bro and climbs back up to the store, getting a good look at Ignatius in his new form.

"Woah!! Ignatius!! You look really cool! Wow... Peridot, that was some quick thinking!"

Physically, he feels great. Spiritually and mentally? It's all very confusing. He feels magical sensations he's never experienced before and can't quite put a name too - the most alarming thing is how he can feel the power of water and ice resonating within him... something that a Summer Court never has or should experience.

It's a power he doesn't understand, more unfathomable than his own Domain in his youth. Does he even have that Domain anymore? What is he...?

He looks at Yuya as he speaks, and then at Rita, sensing the same thing within her. He looks like he's panicking, holding out his blazing white claws in sheer incomprehension. The tail is back, the scales are back, even though he tries to force them away... His eyes are now a bright white instead of red.

"What... did you..." He puts his hands to his chest, like he's feeling if he's still physically real. "Oh... Oh god." He doesn't seem very happy.

Why is it that every time he interacts with Ignatius he inevitably ends up going into some manner of shock? It's not even his fault! It's just coincidence!

Herbert looks at the blanket in his hands and then at Ignatius' fire mane and puts the blanket over his shoulder, walking over with a hand half raised.

"Ignatius? Can you sit down so I can, make...a...medical assessment?" He doesn't need to do that at all and there's not much he can do. He's just trying to think of a way to get Ignatius to agree to sit down.

The shock of getting dunked wakes Yukio up, and he's disoriented and woozy and really not doing too well when Rin pulls him out of the water and he takes in what's going on. There's a lot of yelling and flailing and West doing whatever the hell it is West does in emergency situations (babble, apparently).

Oops, time for Rin to totally ignore everything else again.

"Ah! Yukio!! You're awake! Here... don't... don't move too much, alright?"

Peridot falters, and looks sort of offended. She absolutely does not see what the big deal is here? But Ignatius is obviously upset, so there's gotta be something wrong. That much is clear.

"Um. I asked Creation to heal you, and it did?" she says cautiously. Her tail twitches. "Now you can stand up to the Mother of Invention, soooo. I'm pretty sure this is the part where most earthlings would say 'wow thanks', and then go get your revenge on the clod who's been torturing us all."

Fortunately for both Lambert and Strange, what's going on is pretty dang distracting. Strange gets to his feet, pushing himself up from the water. His third eye flickers to life as he give Ignatius a quick once-over, sees that he's fairly stable, and comes to the conclusion once again that Creation really doesn't know what it's doing.

Changing a fae's domain like that? Bad form.

By now, a few seconds have passed so that the water is slowly coming back to a still reflection. Or at least, still enough for Strange to use. Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, he murmurs a spell, grabs Lambert's wrist, and the two of them vanish through the reflection on the water to some other place in Delta.

Rita, in the meantime, is trying to use her third eye to discern what's happened from a magical perspective.

"Fire, ice, and Creation..." she murmurs, her eyes focused on Ignatius. "I didn't think such a thing would be possible, but to think even a true fae's essence can be changed..."

It's incredible. But clearly, Ignatius isn't as impressed as the rest of them are. Rita's not sure there's anything that can be said to make him feel any better about that, but...

"...Look, this is probably a lot to take in, but chances are that Gild could use our help about now. The Mother of Invention's probably getting ready to finish this. This could be our chance to turn the tables."

Yuya looks between Rita, Peridot, Herbert (once) and Ignatius. Changed his essence like Changelings? Or like having your soul ripped and purified? Those are questions he's not going to ask because Rita points out the obvious, immediate concerns of their situation. They haven't heard from Gild, and they're still trapped in the Mother's realm.

When Rita doesn't move forward, Yuya does. Tentatively, just to trace an place a comforting hand on Ignatius' arm. He looks up at him with sympathy.

"I'm sorry. I don't... think it was on purpose." But it still happened, and Ignatius doesn't look like he's taking it well. "Are you okay to do anything? If you're still hurt, we'll--we're not going to give up here either. We'll keep going and get everyone out."

He doesn't believe Creation would hurt Ignatius, but that doesn't mean he can cope with whatever happened enough to actually be functional.

Ignatius looks at Peridot, completely shell shocked. He's healed, yes, and that's very much a relief... but he's not sure he can explain how disturbing this feels. It's like waking up in a new body that isn't your own, but right down to the soul.

"Gild..." he murmurs, looking into the distance as he tries to work though his shock. Rita has a practical point, but... He shakes his head, trying to balance himself.

"I'm not hurt, it's healed me of the affliction, but..." He wraps his arms around himself, trying to calm down. "This isn't right, it's Winter magic, I... shouldn't..."

He stares into the middle distance.

"It's like that damned Rose."

It's not entirely clear to Herbert if this is going to have negative physical effects in the long term--because if he's hearing Ignatius right, Creation...made him absorb the ice robots? Somehow? Which, what, makes him some sort of steam fae now? Is that how it works?

"If you put this blanket on," he decides to try, as the sitting down ruse was a failure, "will it catch fire."

Peridot looks vexed. She's still pretty confident that she made the right call here but, she also super didn't expect this sort of result, nor did she expect Ignatius to take it so poorly. Right now she doesn't really want to grasp the scope of just how changed Ignatius really is, or why this is such a big deal to him, because she doesn't have the time or energy to spare on feeling guilty. He has new powers. That should be a good thing, right?

"Look. You're a soldier, right?" she says carefully. "If you're upset about the side effects of the changes wrought to your form by the healing energies of the very power of existence itself, then let's go take it out on the pebble who put that ice magic in you and made you need that healing in the first place," she growls, punching her fist into her open palm. "We can all sit around and have existential meltdowns after we've wrecked her business."

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