[PUBLIC CHANNEL] Day 11

[npcarnival]

[ The first one to speak is the Ringmaster, sounding a bit guarded and reluctant, like she's not sure if she wants to deliver this message or not. ]

We have... a visitor at the carnival today, who is asking us for assistance. She comes from a group called the Star Guardians, who I've aided in the past, which is why I'm been sought out this time. They have this entire 'saving the universe' style gig going on.

It can be an enormous hassle, however, and I feel like we've had a few too many disasters as of late. So... I'm going to leave this up to you. You can help her as she asks, or you can stay in the safety of the carnival. I won't force your hand, either way. Just know that whatever she asks you to do will be dangerous, even if it's for a good cause.

Here. I'll let her explain herself.

[ The public channel of the radio clicks off and then on again, but there’s a few seconds' pause before anyone starts speaking. The young woman’s voice that comes across the radio won’t be familiar to anyone at the Carnival, but her voice is clear, with only the barest hint of a waver to it. ]

My name is Noa Minette. I’m from this world — from Wismuth — and I’m speaking to you now because I have something to ask you.

[ She takes a breath. ]

Wismuth needs your help. ...I need your help. [ She makes the more honest correction half a beat later, sounding a little more subdued, before she finds the strength in her voice again. ]

I’m a Star Guardian. The Ringmaster said she hadn’t met one in quite a while, and we usually come as a team, but here, it’s just me.

If you’ve seen the posters around the city, you know that CY-Ren is going to be holding a concert. No matter what happens, I have to stop that concert from happening. If not… [ She hesitates. ] I don’t think it’s going to be something this world can recover from. I don’t know exactly what she has planned, but I know it’s something Void's never tried before.

I can’t face CY-Ren, not on my own. I don’t expect people to help without knowing what they’re getting into, so I’ll try to answer what I can.

Comments

[hurtcomfort]

[ 'I need your help' and almost INSTANTLY Cole responds, despite his ambivalence towards the network. ]

What can I do?

[npcarnival]

[ She sounds a little surprised at such a direct response, but her reply comes quickly, as she's clearly thought about this. ]

Finding a way inside the venue would be a good place to start. Tickets have been sold out for months, so going in the front door isn't really an option.

[ At least not for someone without more money to kick around. ]

[pipers_son]

So I guess I shouldn't invite her ta the carnival...

[Which is what he'd been planning to do if he could just find a little more information.]

[npcarnival]

Probably not. [ She does, at least, manage to sound like she has a sense of humor about the whole thing, despite her own worries. ]

Besides, CY-Ren isn't the easiest person to get to in Wismuth. You'd have to get through her entourage first...

[scientificist]

Not a fan of her music I take it.

[His tone shifts, speaking more generally.]

Is this, artists' feud really a constructive use of our time?

[npcarnival]

Her songs aren't half-bad, when they're not pulling creatures from the Void.

[ She sounds cheerfully determined. This is more in line with the reaction she was expecting. ]

I wouldn't be asking this if reality didn't depend on it.

[hippocarnival]

The Void? [He remembers those posters and her music... she's not just some pop star? ] What's going to happen if there's a concert?

[npcarnival]

[ The second question is easier to answer than the first, so she'll go with that first. ]

I don't exactly know. We received a warning from Creation, but it wasn't very specific.

[ She sounds apologetic about that. And now the hard part, where she takes a breath: ]

The Void is the power opposed to Creation. It's ... nothingness. Nonexistence. It wants the end of everything.

[textsfromhotland]

It k-kinda sounds like there'd be more involved that sabotaging the s-stage equipment...

[npcarnival]

It might. [ She can't lie about that. ]

But if it comes down to a fight, I'll confront her directly myself. [ She pauses. ] I'm just not sure that's enough to stop whatever she's planning.

[shearmadness]

[It's the Ringmaster announcing that it will be dangerous that gets Nui's attention. She came back at a tame time, and while that was good for getting settled back in, Nui gets bored easily.

Besides that, if something bad happens to this cute world, then that's one less world Nui can make her mark on as a designer. She doesn't care about saving it for altruistic reasons, but all of these people are potentially models of her clothing. So she chimes in.]

Sounds fun! Sign me up.

[npcarnival]

[ It's a more flippant response than she expected, but hey, another volunteer! ]

Thank you for being willing to help.

[betheman]

Auh....Stop CY-Ren..?

What is it, exactly, that she intends to do? Do you mean to say an attack is being planned with it as cover...?

[HE FEELS CERTAIN DETAILS COULD BE HELPFUL HERE]

[npcarnival]

I don't know exactly what she's planning. [ She sounds apologetic, at least, admitting that. ]

I think it will be related to her performance. She's used her music to create trouble before -- to call on creatures to attack the city and to make people act strangely. But they've always been smaller incidents.

[everybodypanic]

Wait, there's Star Guardians here too?!

[npcarnival]

Have you heard of them before?

[reflash]

Why would the concert be dangerous?

/jacks

[pipers_son]

Now, I can't say that this is exactly what this CY-Ren lass is up ta...

But, ta my recollection, the carnival did stop at a world where music was its own sorta magic. Could do all sortsa things.

...On the other hand, ha, could just be because it's easier ta do things ta a lot of people at a fancy thing like a performance.

[dirthena]

( lavellan's certain this void doesn't resemble the one from her world, but even still-- )

How does the Void normally go about doing... whatever it does, if what CY-Ren is doing is so unusual?

[npcarnival]

I don't know if I would call anything the Void does 'normal.' [ But she's thinking about her answer, nonetheless. ]

The Void wants to destroy this world, so she mostly sends monsters out and that kind of thing. But the warning from Creation was pretty strong this time!

[anti_nonsense]

Why come to us? Is there some reason you can't get your usual team to come help, if this is such a big deal?

[npcarnival]

I don't have a 'usual team.'

[ She sounds a touch embarrassed. ]

Con says it's different in other worlds, like the one the Ringmaster says she's helped before. There are only as many Guardians as Creation lends its power to.

[criticallyfucked]

....Void?

[Foster sounds... guarded, possibly because of the Ringmaster's presence, but it was the Ringmaster's voice that merited his attention to begin with.]

I mean--you don't want my help. So don't, haha, don't worry about that! I'm just... ah, the Ringmaster has helped you before?

[npcarnival]

Yes. Have you heard of it before?

[ That's a possibility she's having to consider, with some of the other responses here. The bit about not wanting his help is something she's tempted to argue, but she has to correct the misunderstanding first, hastily: ]

The Ringmaster didn't actually help me personally! She helped another group of Star Guardians, in another world. But since they get their powers from Creation, like me ... it's kind of like we're all connected, you know?

[dressedtothe]

A concert... That's a performance that occurs on a stage, right? I could probably shut off the power being supplied to the stage. Will that solve the problem?

[npcarnival]

Maybe? [ Sorry, 9S, she sounds pretty uncertain. ]

She might be able to affect fewer people that way, but ... can you really do that? They'dd probably have backup power, wouldn't they?

[fusionactuallysuitsher]

That doesn’t sound right at all... I don’t know how much I can really help, but I can’t just stand around and not do something. Maybe we can find some way to cut the power!

[npcarnival]

Someone did suggest doing that. I'm willing to try it if you think that will help, though I don't know if it will stop her from performing entirely.

[destiny_key]

[It's a good job Sora's not new to the whole 'saving the universe' business, because otherwise this all might be overwhelming. As it is, he just picks up his radio and starts to speak, because it's his job to help. He has to help.]

What can I do to help you?

[npcarnival]

Finding a way to stop the concert would be the most help right now ... or at least minimizing its effects. I've never done something like this before, so I'm kind of making it up as I go along.

[ Should she admit that ??? Probably not. ]

[worldlyafflictions]

Whoa, sabotaging a show?

[npcarnival]

Yeah. [ There are probably better ways to put it, but that's a fairly correct assessment. ]

I know it's a bit short notice, but it kind of sounded like you might have experience with this sort of thing.

[starseedling]

Aw... How long have you been doing this by yourself?

That sounds really hard.

[npcarnival]

[ She has to pause to think about that. ]

It's been ... a little over two years now, I think. [ Wow, time flies. Still, she sounds a little forcibly upbeat. ] I might be the only Star Guardian, but I don't have to do it all alone. Con's with me, after all.

[genice]

Good to meet you, Noa Minette. My name's Victor Nikiforov. Could you explain what it is people are volunteering to get into?

( he's not volunteering, but he's wondering about consequences tbh )

And in case of either success or failure, what kind of response you'd reasonably expect from local authorities? The Carnival might be able to leave, but what about you?

[npcarnival]

Well ... I can answer the second part a little easier. [ Beat. ] They'll ... forget. It's something about how the magic works. Nobody seems to remember what happens when I'm fighting as a Star Guardian.

[ She speaks with confidence, like she's had reason to test that before. But she does need to answer the first part of Victor's question, and she will, a bit haltingly like she's not used to explaining it out loud. ]

You'd be volunteering to help save the multiverse. Or this part of it, anyway. This Earth, and all the Earths that ever were or ever will be. [ That's a little esoteric, so she tries to explain further: ]

CY-Ren's goal is to damage this world and take it over for the Void. I can't say what she's exactly going to do at this concert, but that's what she's been aiming for since she appeared.

[mirrortide]

Are you kidding me? No way. No way am I helping you or anyone else here. That's a recipe for disaster just waiting to happen.

I'm staying home. Someone else can be stupid enough to help.

[Lapis is the only one with common sense.]

[starseedling]

[Oh, awkward. Steven tries to think of what to say to that.]

That's okay, you don't have to do anything you aren't comfortable with! The Ringmaster even said so.

...but... I'm going to try to help, so I'll see you after, okay?

[stompadour]

[... Jasper isn't exactly leaping at the opportunity to volunteer herself for this kind of thing, but: the Ringmaster has endorsed this, she needs all the good favour here she can get... and maybe if she does good enough someone will realise how badly misassigned she's been to animal care.]

... You need people to fight for you?

[npcarnival]

If it comes down to a fight, yes.

[ She's hoping it doesn't, though! ]

She's really strong.

[bananaspeedrider]

You need to stop that concert coming up? Doesn't sound like it'd be so hard to keep it from happening.

Like what if all the stuff they needed wasn't there anymore?

[npcarnival]

What do you mean?

[moonfang]

Yer gonna have to cough up some more details about this "void" and "creation" stuff you've been goin' on about.

[npcarnival]

I'm not sure how much you've heard so far, but Creation and Void are opposing forces, more or less. You can think of one as the force of life, and the other as, um, nothingness.

Normally, they keep each other in balance, but in worlds like this one it's a little more complicated. You haven't heard of something called 'Pillars of Creation' before, have you?

[atouts]

[ Since over half his team seems intent on helping out here... ]

I would be able to get a small team backstage with little problem but what they do after that should be decided.

[npcarnival]

[ He sounds so dour, but at least he's offering to help. ]

A few people already suggested sabotaging the stage equipment. I think that would be the best place to start, at least unless we can find out more about what exactly she's planning to do.

[fortuneglass]

[After possibly half an hour of listening in and blinding everyone in range of her trailer-

A strangely...Soft voiced Carly joins in.] Wellllll...

I've never really...used it on a large scale but...

I have fire that drains energy..? That could calm people down....but it feels like something that would just as easy work in CY-Ren's favor, ahhhh.... [DAMN, SHE SHOT HER OWN IDEA DOWN!]

[npcarnival]

[ Wow, she didn't even give her a change to respond to the idea, huh? ]

How does it work?

whoops very late tag-in

[pullingamiko]

Wait, this lady's gonna try to... take over the world or whatever with a concert?

[Yep, that's her first reaction.]

What kinda stuff can she do?

[npcarnival]

It does sound a little ridiculous, doesn't it? But ... she has been more active over the past few months. And I think this concert is going to be broadcast, so...

[ Yeah, world domination: maybe possible. ]

She can charm people to become more hateful and call up monsters with her music. She might be able to do more, but that's as much as I know for sure.