⇨ EPILOGUE

[ringleaders]

Who: Anyone who's ever been in the game before!
When: Day 143 and for the rest of time.
Where: The Ringmaster's Realm.
What: It's a time of reunions and also a time for goodbyes - for now, but probably not forever. This is the final official log for Lost Carnival, and it's potentially open to anybody who's played in the game. Thanks for everything!
Warnings: Is it safe? It's probably safe.

THE EVER AFTER↴ It's done. The Huntsman is gone and the Winter Queen has been cured of her self-inflicted condition. It will take time, but if things proceed well, it seems like they could end up with a sympathetic party in the Winter Throne. At the very least, guilt is a hell of a drug when it comes to getting someone's ear on important matters. The damage that has been done is not something that can easily be fixed. Lives have been ruined or lost completely, and emotional wounds can last a lifetime. Yet, for the first time in eons there is a bold hope for the future - a hope for change in ways the Courts never knew they could. There is so much to do in the aftermath that it will be years before any of it has been truly seen through. In the immediate hours and days following, however, the Ringmaster will be focused on seeing to the needs of her carnival. Or, at least, what was her carnival. She isn't sure what it is now. She'll probably always think of them as her family, even if they don't return the sentiment. Things are different now, are they not? They are no longer her followers, but the friends and peers she had always wished for in her previous life. After they have finished their business in the Winter Court, she will bring them all back to the remains of her realm. They need time to rest, and time to think. As she begins the reconstruction of her world, she has a few announcements to make. Firstly - all lingering contracts for those present are now considered paid. She will fulfill their wishes to the best of her ability regardless of how many days would have been left. Of course, it will take her a bit of time since they are all happening at once, but she'll be going down the list! All other contracts will be fulfilled or cancelled depending on individual situations, and whether or a person's connection to the carnival was still active. Otherwise they've probably been reset and their contract cancelled anyway. Secondarily - she is unsure of the future of the carnival itself. With how much there is to do, she doesn't feel that she can simply run away again, no matter how easy that would be in comparison. Being one of the Miracles puts her in a unique position of power, and this time, she wants to do right by it. Her and Ignatius have some ideas, but it will probably be a while before they come to fruition. However, she will rebuilding her realm in a new shape, and everyone is welcome to stay there as long as they want. Alternatively, she will help them travel to wherever in the multiverse they'd like to go instead, and they will retain easy passage back to her realm whenever they wish to travel there. In the future they can probably even learn to world travel on their own! Thirdly - she is going to be inviting back people who still had open contracts so that everyone can catch up and make decisions about going home. Not all of them will show up in this time, but she wanted to give them the opportunity. So, if friends or family went home but haven't been reset, they may possibly be arriving at the new Ringmaster realm to catch up. Otherwise, their contracts will be considered paid and they can stay at home. This mean, previously dropped characters can reappear in the realm to visit and get some closure. As a final helpful gift, those who became Miracles will be able to edit the reality of the realm to their liking while she works on it. So, if you want to hang out and build some things, you are free to design and magically construct your own spaces like high-res Minecraft. And that's only the beginning.

Comments

[atouts]

And there really is a lot out here to distract. While the house is clearly for the human part of the equation, the grounds around it teem with life. Tiny, fluff-covered yellow insects skitter away from 9S's approach while the occasional flower-like entity floats by overhead, carelessly on the warm breeze that blows in. He and Pod won't come across anything too willing to hold still and be observed, though, right up until his foot comes across a firm rock in the ground—

Or... is it a rock? There seem to be three clustered together, only they aren't exactly rocky. All three lumps are covered in long, luxurious blonde locks of hair. They might read as alive but, seriously, it looks like someone left a trio of wigs dumped out here in the grass.

[dressedtothe]

Even though none of the creatures seem keen to stick around, 9S is content to watch them go their way, making observations aloud to Pod 153 to record. The lifeforms here don't seem as aggressive as the ones in Rita's home, so he's not as on guard as he normally is and ends up tripping over the cluster of rocks, barely managing to avoid planting his face in the dirt with some creative footwork.

"Huh?" His sensors are reading these rocks are some kind of lifeform, but that can't be right. "Hey Pod. Are these lifeforms, too?"

Even Pod 153's flat mechanical voice somehow sounds uncertain. < Unknown >

"That's not very helpful." 9S crouches down to more closely examine the cluster of rocks, reaching to lift the long, yellow, hair-like growth covering them. "Maybe it's under here? This is some really weird moss."

[atouts]

Unknown right up until 9S lays hand on those glorious beach blonde strands and all three piles of hair give a startled jerk and -- fwump -- vanish into the dirt, leaving a large hole where they'd been seconds before.

[dressedtothe]

"What the-?" 9S jerks his hand back at the sudden movement before realising the object of his observation is gone. Wh- "Hey!"

How dare it disappear while he was observing it??

(Nevermind that the other creatures haven't let him close enough to touch them.)

9S huffs, picking up a nearby stick, "Let's see if we can get you to come back up..." and pokes it down the hole.

[atouts]

Stuffing a stick down that hole doesn't do much good. It does hit something, though, and that is, essentially, a bad idea. Before, the mass of blonde hair had simply been trying to avoid being bothered by some mysterious stranger. Now that stranger is insisting on bugging them.

Whatever 9S had hit before with the stick vanishes, meaning the stick goes down farther than before. They won't be gone for long, however, since they're coming right back up from behind to smack the android from behind. If 9S is crouching while poking around the hole, that means he's getting a Dugtrio to the rear. If not, well, Tackle works in mysterious ways for a seemingly landbound Pokemon.

[dressedtothe]

How dare this creaure resist being cross examined!?!?

9S yelps as he pitches forward from the force, hands reflexively coming out to prevent him from eating dirt. Ow??

< Report: The unidentified lifeform possesses rapid subterranian travel functionality >

"I got that, thanks," 9S groses, picking himself off the ground and grumbling the entire time.

Turning around, 9S spots yet another hole and no sign of the hairy rocks. There wasn't a hole behind him before? Does that mean the creature dug it? Half impressed, still annoyed, but not fully deterred, 9S takes the sword from his back using his magnetic field.

He'd lost his own in the confusion at Shabondamashii, but weaponry was plentiful in Rita's world. He doesn't want to kill the creature, but this time he stands much further away as he considers whether the sword would fit down the fresh hole. Well. The thing's like rock, isn't it? It should be fine ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Standing a few feet away this time, 9S uses his magmetic field to prod down the second hole.

[atouts]

Sticking a sword down a hole is, generally, a bad idea, even if the Dugtrio being sturdy enough to take a poke from the pointy end of it without it being too damaging. The sword comes to a stop with a quiet tnk of metal against rock. That 9S was rude enough to touch its hair was one thing but this? Invading its hole?!

Whatever the sword had ended up hitting vanishes again, illustrated by how the sword bobs down when nothing is there to stop it. Where the Pokemon goes won't be a mystery for long, since it crashes back up out of the dirt behind 9S again, back where it had originally been.

All six of its little eyebrows are angled in very angry ways, making it clear all three parts of the Dugtrio are glaring at the android. Then, beady eyes squeeze shut and it starts growling its name quietly at first and shaking, then slowly louder, louder, and finally shouts (with what mouths, we don't even know, who even knows, no one, that's who) DUUUUGTRIOOOO!!! and the ground all around them and 9S begins to shake violently.

Hey, 9S, that thing seems to knows Earthquake. How effective is it against YoRHa types?

[whattaprick]

Regardless of how 9S takes the attack (or not), something like the ground starting to rumble is a thing that isn't going to go unnoticed. Though whatever magical perimeter around the island had already been tripped by 9S's arrival, the response is a bit delayed, owing to Lambert having to actively drag his ass off his incredibly comfy hammock.

It's the lag time in someone actually announcing themselves that has finally drawn the witcher out, perched not on Pig for once but his far more aerodynamic Sharpedo, floating a few feet off the ground. Which, as it turns out, is a good thing once its starts shaking. It would be a cause for concern if it was directed at him, but spotting a familiar silver-haired figure in the distance, Lambert decides he's just going to see how it plays out for now, taking another swig of his beer in the process.

invading its hole . . .

[dressedtothe]

At first, 9S' reaction is glee. "There you are!" Ha hah! Take that, mysterious underground animal! Now he can finally get a good look at the thing and it's weird! Are those eyebrows?

Before the rumbles really start, Pod 153 warns 9S, < Alert: Seismic activity detected >

"That can't be good. Pod!"

Without needing to be explicitly told, Pod 153 positions itself above 9S, catching him with its tiny arms as he leaps into the air. Just in time it seems, for the earth trembles mightily.

9S can't help the burst of awed laughter as Pod 153 holds him above ground, its gyros whirring, "Wow! Okay, I didn't think it could do that!"

But it looks so stupid!? How can something that looks like that have that sort of power?

[atouts]

Dugtrio's angry cry carries on throughout the entire quake, the three luxurious-haired brown bumps with currently angry little eyes shaking with rage as it throws its tantrum. Earthquake can't last forever, though, and after one minute... a minute and a half... the trembling tapers off and the Dugtrio droops, angry noise similarly tapering off into a tired whine.

It's exhausted now! Look! Feel bad! At least, that's what it would say if it could actually yell at 9S in an understandable language.