lostcarnival | ⇨ THE WINTER COURT

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⇨ THE WINTER COURT

Who: Everyone willing to come.
When: Day 142
Where: The Winter Palace
What: Whether you've ascended to godhood or been blessed with temporary protections, it's time to confront the Winter Queen.
Warnings: ???

THE BEGINNING AND THE END↴

Once everyone has made their decisions, the Ringmaster will take those that have chosen to ascend to an isolated place within her realm. As it turns out, that end up being the core of the two moons, combined into one impregnable space. This might be a bit explosive, she warns. Can't be too careful.

With everyone together, back in her partly humanoid form, she will bring out the Blue Rose and the Silver Mirror - both in their sword and shield forms respectively - and begin her work. Her wings, now feathery and glowing red with power, spread around the group, and they will feel a stirring in their body and soul.

The space becomes blinding, like overwhelming light and darkness all at once, burning and freezing all at once. Life and death, all at once. You bleed into the ether, become one with it, and then reform - only you've brought something back with you. The domain of one of the Miracles has bound itself to you, body and soul. Though it is the Miracle's legacy, the power is now yours, to do with what you will.

No other force will command you.

Once it is done, the moon has become an eclipse, it's corporeal form melting away. You will find yourself floating back down to the surface of the realm, changed but empowered. Your body may appear different than before, or it may be the same - regardless, you are something fully new. You have the same memories, the same desires, the same hopes, but they have come together to create something else.

You are born again.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No puzzles, no traps, hardly any resistance... It's suspicious, is what it is. As though the winter court is saving all their fight for one big final confrontation. The wyldlands gave a lot more fight than this, which might just be because they were headed by the Huntsman and feeling fighty - while the winter court considers themselves too important for that - or, maybe...

"Maybe they're not home...?" Papyrus wonders, and not in a light and whimsical way. He's frowning at their surroundings, looking for signs that there's more subtle obstacles than those he might have erected back underground..

"If Frost's anything like the rest... They might be doing like he did, in that tunnel. Setting a trap where we're looking for, uh, important things, then hiding somewhere else while we spring it."

Edited 2019-02-26 08:35 (UTC)

"He's right," Sans says, looking around suspiciously. It's hard not to be paranoid about something being too easy. "There's half a chance they're letting us by because she told them to. Who's to say she doesn't have something set up for us inside?"

Sans, for his part, looks much the same. It's just the absence of his fae marks that stick out, some unnecessary spikes, and the scorpion stinger gone from his tail. He's pretty happy about all of this. Over all, he looks a bit softer and less set up for war. It's a nice change, even if they are currently charging a throne room.

His wings are out and his bone glow with a soft angelic radiance. He's still sorting out the depths of what he can do with this new magic, but at the very least, it should let his old stuff pack a bigger punch.

With things as they are, Reira is doing her very best at probably the only thing she can. Which is, trying to watch around them while also being wary for if some strange emotion that wasn't accounted for earlier pops up. Not that someone else wouldn't catch it first mind.

But it's nice to at least think she could do something. Where Reira is silent, and observing however, Gongenzaka most assuredly is not holding his tongue-

"Whether a trap or otherwise, there can be no doubt that they know we are here," he announces, crossing his arms while staring the door down. "More than that...I, the man Gongenzaka, wonder if they suspect trying to stop us would have its own punishment." From the Queen is an option yes. But fear of the power of all three miracles and then some is no doubt also present. It is thus as much as any other is theorizing. Trap? Resignation? Or even detest for the queen they suspect will perish.

"...There is very likely a specific 'route' they are expecting us to take after all, with the Queen," he adds. Who would expect them to storm the court to talk? After everything that happened, that they went through?

Near any fae would likely expect them to want vengeance.

Well. From among the group, Carly chews her lip to add her own point as well. A simple one. Nothing big but-

"...We won't get anything done just standing here..." She remarks, looking to the Ringmaster in particular. Light and fire alike glimmer through painted images upon her wings, intricate geometric patterns seeming to reflect her nervousness the way pure colour did before. "...It's time to brace ourselves and see what's behind this door, don't you think?"

"Hard to believe she's ready to talk after everything she's done," Rita mutters, standing with her arms folded.

Her ascension has left her looking much different than before. For the most part, she appears more human, with no feathers, fur, or wings. In their place, patches of crystalline scales have formed along her arms, legs, and shoulders, and some framing her face. A pair of horns grow from the sides of her head and curve to the back. Her feline tail has been replaced with a forked, vaguely reptilian one lined with those same scales. All in all, the new changes appear more cohesive and less obtrusive than her old ones.

"I'm ready for whatever's ahead," she declares, despite the casual-looking posture. "Even if it is a trap."

"Not much to be done even if it is," Childermass basically agrees with Rita here. His own changes are more akin to going back to 'human', although he was never so obviously altered as some in the carnival. The most obvious addition is silver streaks through his hair — metallic, even, not just going grey.

"So we may as well kick the door in." Although saying that, he looks towards the Ringmaster. "Or knock. Could be she'll just open the doors for us. She practically already has."

What with the lack of defenses at this point.

Alphys has been shuffling along at the back of the group, gripping her new magic staff (she made it herself!) anxiously. Even with all of her new powers, she's still kind of a nervous wreck, what with not really knowing the extent of said powers yet and literally walking into the very definitive final dungeon of everything. She's SO not ready for this.

"O-of course it's a trap!" She stammers. "T-they totally know we're here and they're just w-waiting for us to let our guard down..."

Peridot doesn't add anything to the chorus of voices sounding off, but she is present in the group, ready and raring to go. Her own ascension has landed her a pair of wings and a new tail, broader and flatter in shape, with a double row of crystal spines running all the way down from her back.

She honestly kind of hopes Frost is in there with the Queen. She'd like to see the little shit try and trap her in an ice dome now.

Like some of the others, Steven's ascension has resulted in the loss of unnecessary complication. His hands and feet have mostly returned to that of a normal human, though his nails retain their diamond texture - besides that, his wings, tail, and a smaller quantity of green fur have remained on his back. Most importantly, his gems have all returned to a shade of pink, and he's clearly loving it - even as there is a subtle, iridescent orange and purple tint in the light.

His horns have transformed into cute little crystal antenna which twitch and glow at the presence of a charged emotional atmosphere. The vibe he's getting from this place is strange, to say the least. He hovers in the air, looking at the door uncertainly.

"If something happens, we'll be ready to protect each other," he says.

Ignatius has come along with everyone else, feeling a bit like a third wheel and more than a little bit uncomfortable with his surroundings. He didn't feel like he could call this done until he saw it to its conclusion, though. With their ascension, the carnival may come from a different origin, but they're all in the same boat now. They're something in between the Courts, and the Courts need fixing.

In his opinion, the Winter Queen could potentially use slaying as well, but he tries not to let that instinct get in the way of things. His anger is held beneath the surface, and he doesn't want to let it get in the way of a rational plan of action. Still, it leaves him a bit terse.

"Ready when you are," he says to the Ringmaster, waiting with a grim expression.

While she's obvious hesitant, apprehensive of what's to come, the Ringmaster can't disagree. There's nowhere to go but forward. She nods her head in vague assent and then, Rose Sword and Mirror Shield in hand, she moves forward to boldly kick the doors right open.

It works. The icy material shatters on impact, big chunks of it falling away as the remains drift open and reveal the throne room inside.

It's everything you would expect. Everything is shades of white and soft blue, with great pillars on either side that hold up the elaborate architecture. There is not much in the hollow shell of the throne room except the throne itself, in the center, occupied by the Winter Queen herself.

She seems unbothered by their arrival, sitting at the far side of the hall and idly toying with a few glowing motes of ice magic. Everything about her is white, down to her clothing and skin, except for a small amount of blue detailing around her eyes. She regards the Ringmaster first and foremost.

"You finally came back," she says. As the carnival enters the throne room, there are no apparent traps. It's simply empty and unguarded.

Yuya moves around the group so he can see the Winter Queen around the numerous much taller figures. His stature both physically and magically is much smaller, and he's not quite prepared to speak up when he expects who she's really interested in is the Ringmaster. But he watches her all the same, nervous and expectant.

Zangetsu had chosen to ascend, of course, but the changes are very subtle. There are fewer feathers on his legs, now beginning at mid-calf instead of his waist, and his feet are much more hare-like, with their avian, curved black talons completely retracted, kept hidden and sharp. The gills on his neck are gone and his hair is long, glimmering like moonlight. As he sits on Gon's back, his tail dangles lazily around his friend's new, folded wings.

He's a little disappointed that no one seems to be giving them any trouble.

"Shame. Wanted ta flex some of this new power..."

Even the Queen herself isn't being aggressive. As one of the few who was more interested in slaying her than talking to her, he groans and lays back on his noble, steadfast steed.

"Wake me if she tries to pull some shit."

"Psst," Beau hisses at him from middle of the group, where she's been for safety's sake. She hadn't chosen to ascend, meaning she's only working with the moderate temporary power boost - enough to be involved, but maybe not enough to go toe-to-toe with too many of the fae.

Not that there's been all that much conflict, and there haven't been many egregious or obvious fae changes with her lately; the biggest difference is that she's back in her own attire, stuff picked up shopping in Shabon, instead of the elaborate messes the Summerlands fae tried hoisting on them.

"Don't go to sleep," she whispers, "that might, I don't know, piss her off or something. We're supposed to be playing nice unless they start it."

Cracking an eye open to glare at Beau from his taur-couch.

"Fiiiine."

He sits up! WHATEVER, MOM!

The Ringmaster looks around, like she is expecting something more. She tentatively moves into the room, keeping her grip on the other two Miracles firm.

"Why would I want to come back sooner when you spent all this time trying to kill me?" the Ringmaster growls. "You've got a lot to answer for, Winter."

"As do you, beast," the Winter Queen says. "My intent was never to kill you. I simply decided that your forays into the mortal realms had been humoured long enough. You can't just do the things you did and expect to get away free, can you?"

"What are you talking about?!" the Ringmaster exclaims, already frustrated. "I don't even understand what you think I did wrong! I did everything you wanted! I led the rebellion, I helped you kill your miserable progenitor-"

The Winter Queens hands clench around the arms of her thrones, the apathetic look falling from her face in favour of something terse and displeased.

"And you left me to pick up the pieces alone," the Winter Queen says.

"... Not all the pieces." Yuya glances between both of them. Maybe he should let them debate between themselves, but since the Summer Maiden gave them this context...

"She carried all the blame for you. She was hated, and the Courts already see the Wyld Fae as people below them. They wouldn'thave had ant reason to spare her if it was all her fault, right?" He steadies his gaze on the Winter Maiden. "What would they have done to her if she stayed?"

If she's upset about being left alone to deal with it, does she care about endangering the Ringmaster with her story?

"You throw her to the wolves and blame her for it? Pitiful," Childermass scoffs at the Winter Queen, face drawn absolute scorn for the audacity of it. "No. I imagine what she really wants is for the Ringmaster to suffer the same kind of hell she's put herself in."

"Keh! They woulda strung her up like goddamn Christmas lights, make her an example fer any other uppity Wyld Fae who think they could challenge the courts! A scapegoat," Zangetsu spits with a sneer. "Sounds like Queendom ain't all it was cracked up to be and miss frosty-britches over here decided ta take it out on her former friend. What a pal."

Why, exactly, aren't they just swarming her and killing her?

Gongenzaka looks none too pleased himself- though he isn't nearly as loud as his passenger. A small frown upon his face, he stares toward the Queen.

"Perhaps she will explain that then, the way she feels the pieces fell? Despite the evidence that we ourselves have found chasing us all this time?" Really- just what does the Queen have to say for herself, that would at all bring pity from them now?

The Winter Queen doesn't seem taken back by being scolded, but she does seem immensely spiteful about the general concept. She sneers at them, standing up from her throne.

"I told you I would handle it," she snaps at the Ringmaster, and at everyone else by proxy. "Is that really so difficult for you to understand? You had managed to follow instructions so well up till that point..."

The Ringmaster, for her part, seems lost. It's not like she hadn't been expecting scorn, after everything the Winter Queen has ostensibly done! She just doesn't understand at all why anything had to happen like this.

"Winter..." she says, her voice falling. She's genuinely confused, and even now, this hurts to hear from her own mouth. "I don't... I don't understand. I don't know why you did this to me. We... We were... Everything..."

"Spare me," the Winter Queen says, cutting off the Ringmaster's pleading. The Ringmaster takes a step back. "The Winter Court is broken, and we're the ones that broke it. We all deserve our punishments."

There's an exasperated sigh in the room, and with some reluctance, Rita steps forward, glaring at the Queen.

"You mind explaining for those of us who weren't there, but almost got killed because of whatever nonsense went on between the two of you? By my understanding, the two of you conspired to kill the previous Queen, and succeeded. You rose to power in her place, and now you've got the whole Court under your thumb with no dissent to be seen. So what exactly went 'wrong', here? What the hell more do you want?"

She's well aware that she's being presumptuous, but she's also running out of patience.

"Are your punishments usually full of collateral damage to everything surrounding your target? I'm sure the patrons of the bathhouse would enjoy hearig that... those that are still alive, at least."

He digs his sword point into the ground. "And who is going to deliver your punishment, when you've delivered your judgement?"

He has just as little patience, but Rita's questions are probably less rhetorical.

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"No one will punish her, that's what. No one ever punishes royalty."

Childermass moves a step over, firmly placing himself in front of the Ringmaster rather than off to one side. He doesn't have to worry about being vaporized by some shitty High Fae anymore and he's most certainly not going to forget that.

"The Winter Court is broken because you broke it. Admit it already. You drove the Ringmaster and the Summer Maiden both away with your schemes. You either ignored it when all of your other followers were killed or you ordered it yourself. You refuse to create a new Winter Maiden. Why? Do you fear any child of yours will have the same greed for power that you had?"

Although during his little diatribe, he's reaching out with his own senses, now empowered beyond that of a mere human or changeling by the Silver Mirror. He could feel the Void before thanks to Wismuth but now, he feels, he may be able to pinpoint it much more clearly if it's around.

If the Mother of Invention could be filled with it, one can't help but wonder if it's been leaking into the rest of the Court, right?

Wow. This lady gives a whole new meaning to "icy bitch". Rin can sense the hurt in the Ringmaster, and he places a hand on her arm, giving her a sympathetic look. It seems like the other Changelings have "sassing the Winter Queen" covered -- so he'll run backup.

"Don't let it get to you. She's just trying to make you feel miserable, just like her."

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It's all three at once to save time/space/etc uh,

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