lostcarnival | ⇨ POLARIS AFTERMATH

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⇨ POLARIS AFTERMATH

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 115-118
Where: Polaris/Wyldlands
What: After killing the Mother of Invention, the majority of the carnival has decided to take some time and sort out the Polaris refugees before heading to the Summerlands. This log covers miscellaneous post-Mother Polaris drama, as well as some light camping in the Wyldlands down below.
Warnings: Idk, stuff, I guess.

ADAPTATION↴

After the battle, the majority of carnival members will opt to remain in the secured section to Polaris, hoping to spend some time making sure that the rest of Polaris is liberated. Many of the staff are not capable of coming to grips with the fact that the Mother is dead so quickly, and the remaining Alphas are doing their best to keep Polaris under their sway. It will be a busy few days of changing minds and exploring the remains of the station. Thankfully, with everyone's powers intact and allies at their side, they finally have the advantage.

► SHIFTING STATES: Right off the bat, about 10% of the staff will immediately change sides upon hearing whats become of the Mother. They are actively eager to get away from Polaris, and will do whatever they can assist the carnival. This is mostly Gammas and a few Betas, who were working primarily under duress. Over the next day or two, those numbers will grow to at least 30%, with some of the staff managing to convince their colleagues to join them. About two days after starting, one of the Alphas will surrender to the carnival, encouraging those beneath her to support their cause. That leaves four Alphas remaining, and staff cooperation at 50%.

► CAPTIVE ATTENTION: The loyalist staff's main tactics are trying to create defensive points within the various test group areas, using the prisoners as hostages. Luckily, the carnival (and the staff on their side) will be in a position where it's possible to push them out with a mixture of convincing and force. Once prisoners start being freed, there will be even more force backing the carnival's efforts, meaning that it will essentially become a matter of cleaning up the remaining staff rather than any uphill battles. Most of this is being left vague intentionally, as most of this action is being handwaved. However, you can play out parts of it if you want and NPC technicians and rescuees. Other test groups can be filled with basically whatever kind of residents you like, since they are grabbed from across the multiverse. Most of the test areas are similar to B7.

► THE JACKPOT: Alongside cleaning up the staff, some members of the carnival have expressed interest in convincing the staff to help them with armoury issues as well as hunting down some of the Mother's most private loot. This will be handled in investigations, mostly through summary, because I don't have it in me for another megathread right now. Post your plans, and I will respond! However, know that I also don't have time to generate five million special items, so loot drops will be limited to my availability. Also, the techs aren't really blacksmiths so they generally won't really be able creating weapons from scratch or anything.

Meanwhile, Ignatius is going to set up a camp ground outside of Polaris, mostly because he doesn't want to be there anymore. He'll keep a fire going and they can drag things from Polaris down there for camping purposes, and mostly Ignatius is just going to be chilling and making sure that the campground doesn't get assaulted by magical creatures. The Gilded Mark will create a portal between the campground and the station so that people can go back and forth as required. It also creates a handy escape route.

You can even see Polaris from here, floating up there in the sky. How picturesque.

► WYLDERKIN: Apparently not everything in the Wyld Lands is a full Wyld Fae - there are also a lot of less powerful creatures called 'wylderkin' - apparently lesser forms of the Wyld Fae, who are more akin to animal level intelligence. They can be a variety of expected fantasy type creatures, such as flower sprites, weird bugs, and general prey animals they probably spend most of their time getting eaten by bigger dudes. All of them are sort of weird and fantastical, and none of them are exactly like earth varieties, though they may resemble them. They are more of a pest than a major threat in this part of the Wyld Lands, and Ignatius will scare away any that cause too many problems.

► FLORA AND FLUID: There are some plants that you can eat down here, that Ignatius will tell you about. Mostly weird berries and roots. There is also some pools of clear water, thought hey are filled with weird fish. Try not to bitten by any weird leeches. You can safely make up some of the creatures you find as long as they fit the general theme of lesser faerie creatures. This is just a rest stop.

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This one also hits. And again, Strange swats out the flames with an incantation and his hands. His top's getting noticeably charred, but it's still in one piece.

"I'm going to actually try to dodge now," Strange warns Syrlya, with a wry little smile. "Keep it up."

He's not attacking Syrlya. This is still Syrlya throwing fire and Strange trying to get out of the way. But he does need to practice dodging and weaving out of a fight, getting a better hold on his new form, and maybe using that shield spell he thinks he's pierced out. The next time Syrlya throws some fire at Strange, Strange ducks...by quickly poofing into his small, basketball sized, fire elemental form and floating out of the way.

Strange keeps going before Syrlya can ask about his charred top, letting out a sigh as he conjures another fireball and angles that one too. It's coming a little faster, now, but still enough time between them for Strange to strategize his dodging.

Especially when Syrlya stops at seeing him dodge by turning into... well, that's not the 'turn into fire' form Syrlya was expecting. Are those little eyes?

He stares, struck, before slowly bringing a hand to his chin. "It isn't a very good idea to try fighting fire with fire, is it?"

Strange only lingers in that form for a moment before poofing back into his human form. "You aren't the only one who needs training," he'll admit. "This new form is a product of Polaris. I want to get it combat ready."

Or at least, combat ready enough that he can use this form as easily as he can use his smoke form. So far, he's only used this...what, twice or so? That's hardly enough time.

"Try and hit me again."

"Will that include making it... bigger?" Faster? Even having a developed fear of fire, it really doesn't give him the same sort of terror as seeing jets of flame or thrown projectiles would.

But, Syrlya throws another fireball.

"Perhaps," Strange answers, with a little shrug. He doesn't know what all he can do with this new form! But that's the most exciting part of it all.

As Syrlya throws out another fireball, Strange isn't as quick on the uptake as before. It grazes his shoulder as he poofs into fire. Awkwardly, he floats a few feet to the side before reforming into his human form.

The training continues in a similar cycle, Syrlya throwing flame and Strange dodging. Given Syrlya's own limited movement, it doesn't get more complicated than that, and Syrlya doesn't get too intimate with the flame but he stops twitching so strongly if his fingers brush against it.

They have to stop eventually, and Syrlya absently rubs his crystal wrist when it's over. Somehow it feels hotter, but not quite it the way of being warmed by the flame.

Given the fact that Strange is still getting used to this new form of his, his movements are equally simple. It's a combination of dodging, quickly shifting forms, moving around, and occasionally patting out his shirt when Syrlya hits him once he's human.

At the end of this, Strange's shirt is obviously burned and singed a bit. His trousers have thankfully spared some fire damage, but considering how ridiculous it looks, he's just going to go ahead and take his top off for now. His scars are annoyingly reflective in the light: a gash on his back, a large stab wound on his chest, a splattering of mirrors on his shoulder, a gash on his left forearm, and some flecks around his wrist.

"How does the fire feel now?" Strange asks, as he stretches a little. "Even in our quick sparring session you've certainly gotten more used to it."

Edited 2018-11-20 22:58 (UTC)

Strange willingly stripping in the open is probably more of a surprise than the scars. Syrlya glances up, squinting at the glare briefly before he lowers his hand.

"Truthfully, it's still odd for it to suddenly be such a familiar element. But I suppose it is as simple in behavior as you said."

It's as volatile as chaos energy, but with much more predictable effects. Maybe that's why it requires less control. Or maybe that's just Strange's nature.

"But thank you for sparing with me," he says, polite but not warm.

"Think nothing of it," Strange simply responds. "I'd do the same for anyone interested in magic."

And that's the truth. Strange likes magic more than he likes some people, of course he'd try and help Syr reach his full potential.

He doesn't look at Syr but instead starts to stare at his shirt, as if by staring he can find a way to make it less burnt. Idly, Strange remarks, "And I think I know how you've received that magic as well. It's easy to notice certain additions when one is unconscious."

Like a bigass Blue Rose growth.

"There is ice magic as well, so I am almost certain this is coming from the Blue Rise's new influence in--"

Hey, wait, what was that second part. "Unconscious...? Whe--were you just staring at me?"

Was this when they were sharing a cell? But Syrlya doesn't remember having proper access to his magic at the time. And Strange didn't phrase it like he just made an educated guess on the fact that Syrlya had seeds from the Rose planted into his arm.

Strange scoffs, like Syrlya's being super rude for implying that Strange might have been staring at him. "It doesn't surprise me, of course. Miss Nagisa and I believe that the treatment of her eyes involves the Silver Mirror. Her trial was delayed just as mine was, her eyes are reflective, her magic fits the light and dark aesthetic of the Mirror, and I have mirror eyes myself. It only makes sense that they tried to graft the Rose onto somebody else as well and you're the most logical choice."

That doesn't answer Syrlya's question. And he's technically right.

"But yes, I suppose I was staring at you. Really, I don't see why you'd be so surprised, I would have noticed something via scrying anyway."

"I don't know either, yet somehow you still find ways to surprise and alarm me."

He shuffles the fireproof cape off, holding it out from Strangev to retrieve. "I told you they put seeds in my arm, you could have allowed me to survey the damage to myself first before you helped yourself to inspecting it."

He's assuming Strange was just using his third eye. He hopes it was just his third eye.

Thankfully, it was just his third eye. "You were unconscious," Strange points out like this is a valid excuse. "And I..."

He trails off a little, frowning for a moment. Strange then steps back and away from Syrlya, places his arm to the front of him, and concentrates. Almost instantly, a three foot tall replica of the Silver Mirror grows out from Strange's arm. Strange is holding it very awkwardly, as he's never used a shield in his life.

"I thought that maybe examining you would give me insight on why I can do this now. Or at least, help inspire me to decide where to look first."

Syrlya frowns, looking unimpressed. Not that the magic, which he simply doesn't give as much attention to in the face of Strange's explanation.

"You could have waited until I was conscious and asked me." Like Steven, so he realizes he should probably tell 'so it turns out I did get new magic after all'. "But then, I suppose that would mean you would need to actually be considerate of anything besides your own immediate desires."

Syrlya didn't really expect Strange's concern, but actually hearing him admit it was for himself still agitates him when he didn't get the respect to even speak for himself about what's been done to him.

Strange rolls his eyes. This! This right here is why he didn't ask Syrlya! Because of course Syrlya would be annoying and self-righteous about the whole thing.

"Would you have told me even if I did ask you? Or would this be one more thing to keep from me for no reason whatsoever."

"Do you think you are entitled to know?" It doesn't really make him feel better. He narrows his eyes. "And what 'one more thing'? What secrets do you think I'm keeping from you?"

"I was speaking generally," Strange grumbles, with a vague hand motion. The summoned shield vanishes as Strange continues. It's no use bitching to Syrlya...but he's gonna bitch to Syrlya.

"As for you specifically, I would have at least liked to have known a vague outline about the plan to rescue Ignatius-and before you point out that I was in Theta, so was Lambert and he somehow knew what was going on. There was no reason to not tell me the same."

Syrlya, not knowing the secret keeping drama with everyone else, is mostly just confused. Why does generally matter to him?

"It was a mission, Strange, and those details were on a need-to-know basis." He gestures with the hand still holding the cape. "You've been in the army, right? Not every pieces of information is filtered to every soldier. I told those I intended to take along, and Lambert because he is the Nightrider."

His supervisor, which Syrlya's going to take seriously even without the Ringmaster. He's pretty sure Lambert does. "I wanted his input and to work together with both of our teams, because we were both infiltrating unfamiliar territory."

"I scouted out some of that territory via the vents," Strange pedanticly points out. "It wasn't entirely unfamiliar."

But even Strange knows that's being nitpicky. And Strange also knows there's no way to say that he's got a complex about secrets and a complex about Ignatius without looking like a total fool who can't get past his own personal problems (despite the fact that yep, that's him.)

Strange awkwardly looks at Syrlya for a moment, like he wants to say something before he settles on, "I've just felt that recently, my place in all of this is damn confusing. I just wanted to hear your explanation."

That is not at all the answer Strange wants to give and he looks a little confused at himself as he tries to piece out what he wants to say but not sound like a damn moron.

Syrlya could be equally nitpicky and point out it didn't map out the other sectors, but there's no point trying to argue details when it's not the real point of either of their decisions.

Syrlya raises a brow, pausing with uncertainty what to say to that. Then he moves forward, slowly, to try and offer Strange his cloak again.

"My explanation is that it was a very delicate mission, and I only told those directly involved." And those he decided to involve didn't include Strange for those 'don't trust' reasons they've already been over. "Is this because you were put into the research department instead of the militia?"

He remembers that little tantrum on the radio.

Strange takes the cloak and wraps it around his shoulders. The shirt's a lost cause, might as well use this until he finds a new one. Syrlya's explanation makes sense. And at least 'delicate mission' makes more sense than 'simple spite' (and reassures some of Strange's worries as well.) But with Syrlya's last question...hell, maybe getting a second thought on this would be good.

"It's because both the Ringmaster and Lambert said they didn't want me to be a soldier...then the Ringmaster tasks me with protecting Ignatius, Lambert draws me into an agreement where I should kill him if needed, then Lambert suggests I put myself in harm's way and scout ahead through the vents."

Does this make sense? He hopes it makes sense. For everybody not trusting him to be a soldier and wanting him to stay safe, they keep saying here Strange, have a fun time with people's literal life and safety in your hands.

"The carnival as a whole still acts like I'm militia. I led a rescue mission when the Hunt attacked and I helped organize the destruction in Polaris. So why even take me out of the militia if everyone is going to treat me like I'm still in it?"

"The carnival has a... very fluid approach to anyone's actual jobs." Syrlya wrinkles his nose a little. That might even be putting it kindly, it's more like the carnival pretends to have structure. "But violent contracts for a personal relationship or a unique mission are not the same as being in the militia. It's just--"

Syrlya takes a deep breath, folding his arms as his shoulders rise and sink. "You are hard to work with, Strange. You refuse to be wrong anything and you're uncooperative with tasks that aren't what suit whatever it is you want to do! And then when you go off on your own, it is usually reckless and dangerous. The militia is a team that works together, not simply a title."

That had been some of Syrlya's bigger concerns when Lambert had approached him way back when he was considering asking Strange to step down, and given how things have gone since the Athenaeum he feels he's probably right on that.

He can't help it: his hair flares up in a brief moment of anger as Syrlya lists off his percieved flaws. Strange is biting down so hard on his tongue that it's practically bleeding to keep from pointing out how wrong Syrlya is.

"I go off on my own because again, people keep charging me to do so. When was the last time anyone trusted me enough to let me work with them in the first place?" Strange points out.

"Besides, none of those reasons were why I was removed from the team."

"Being tasked with something on your own doesn't excuse the times you go off on your own anyway!" Syrlya waves his hand around, exasperated. "Nor does the consequence of not being trusted now, because you are absolutely impossible to work with!"

He pinches the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. "Why do you care?"

That's the million dollar question, isn't it. Why DOES he care. It would be so much easier for him to not care but here he is, caring about things. It sucks.

"Because I'm an idiot who cares what people think of him," Strange sighs. When did this happen? He didn't care what people thought of him back home, why has it started now?

"And because people's level of trust in me is all over the place. I want to find out why."

⇨ POLARIS AFTERMATH

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