Public Channel - Day 59

[pipers_son]

[He really didn't want this to happen, but...]

I think it's time we start keeping a list of those who's disappeared, been taken, or is otherwise indisposed.

I'll start.

Lauren has been buried in the ground, somewhere, and Steven Universe has been taken by the Rose Queen.

[He says all of this blankly, matter of factly, and there's only the sound of a shaky breath at the very end.]

Comments

In person

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya lingers at the back immediately after the escape, occupying himself with watching the exit and his injuries as Joker and Gongenzaka call on the radio. As such, he's not very attentive of the conversations happening on it. When his attention is brought back, it's to check on Gongenzaka. They linger back, talking between themselves and embracing before they catch up.

Yuya's much less stormy after that, but there's still a barely contained energy to his posture. He's trying to focus it productively, though, eyes alert on their surroundings as they try to navigate if not to the carnival, then at least to safety.]

[pipers_son]

[Honestly, even with energy used up and time to calm down as best any of them can, Joker has to admit he's still a bit annoyed at Yuya... but that doesn't mean he's going to ignore the boy forever. After a while, as they're still making their way through shadows, he calls back to him.]

How are we doin', Yuya?

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya looks at Joker, bewildered.] We?

[Doing in what? Health? Navigation?] Nobody... left got that hurt, right? But...

[He squints ahead.] Uh, weren't we in this hall already?

[Maybe they just all look the same to Yuya, filled with books and shadows. But it doesn't feel like they're making progress.]

[pipers_son]

Probably. I'm startin' ta think it's on purpose.

[Which means that running from the Rose Queen might have just had them all going in circles anyway.... Well, better than nothing.]

...Have a second, if we're going' in circles?

[hippocarnival]

[That's worrying even if it's expected, that the Fae are trapping them like rats. Yuya tries not to think too hard about it.

Instead, he just looks back at Joker?] What?

[pipers_son]

Well, can ya come here?

[He'll even shrug off Tyki, so that this can be relatively private.]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya furrows his brow with brief uncertainty before scooting closer to Joker, presumably somewhere to the side.]

[pipers_son]

[Joker waits for him patiently, still fingering his radio as he tries to listen to multiple conversations (put on low) at once while participating in one of his own.]

....Why did ya come back?

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya looks confused, at first, to be asked that. Isn't it obvious?] We weren't going to abandon you! Lion was acting on his own.

[Huh, actually, where did Lion go after that? Yura looks around, like he expects him to pop up suddenly.] We only ended up in the next room.

[pipers_son]

Did we ask for ya ta come back for us?

[That it was the next room is unimportant, so he doesn't bother addressing it. Instead, he just inclines his head towards Yuya.]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya pauses, but ultimately only looks more confused at that.] You don't have to say it. You're our friends, we wouldn't leave you like that.

[Even putting aside his agreement with Gongenzaka that the latter would let Yuya stand by his side, Yuya's not the kind of person to be inclined to save his own skin when his friends are in danger. Steven feels the same, so of course they came back.]

[pipers_son]

[Yeah.... He figured it was something like that. Steven has always been pretty obvious about it, so he guesses it's good that he has confirmation on Yuya being the same.... Joker heaves out the sigh.]

That's assumin' a lot, isn't it? If ya don't ask people what they want.

[hippocarnival]

That goes both ways. [Yuya's expression sours a little. He gaze flicks away briefly to Gongenzaka.] I didn't want to leave, and we wouldn't have if Lion hadn't decided to.

[He doesn't hold it against Lion. He's, well, a lion, and was probably just trying to get to safety. It just had the unfortunate consequence of disrupting Yuya and Steven's desire to stand by their friends when the Rose Queen was coming for them.]

[pipers_son]

So ya don't trust or respect us.

[Yuya is free to look wherever he likes. For the most part, Joker keeps his eyes up ahead, trying to see whatever he can through the shadows.]

Because that's the problem with decidin' that kind of thing. It means ya don't respect what other people sacrifice for ya, and ya don't trust our own abilities.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya's attention snaps back to Joker, only briefly shocked before his expression flashes with anger.] You're deciding it, too! If you just sacrifice yourself, aren't you deciding that you don't trust your friends to be able to make any difference with you?!

[There's a rising offense in Yuya's tone as he takes that probably more personally than Joker means it to be. But this is personal, for Yuya. He's tried, and tried, and tried to not be so fragile that he has to watch his friends suffer, sometimes for his sake, unable to do anything.]

[pipers_son]

[Finally, Joker looks down at him, expression drawn cold and serious instead of the usually warm persona worn so much.]

The difference ya made with comin' back and encouragin' Steven was that he got taken. Am I wrong in that?

[That sort of belief sounds very nice, but with what's just happened...]

[hippocarnival]

... You think it's my fault? [His posture slacks a little. He's not offended by that, but it wasn't expected and he goes quiet as it rings through his head.]

Steven decided to come back first. [In part because Yuya's reaction was just delayed in surprise, but it was a decision they came to independently. Their feelings just happened to align on the matter.] He felt the same way.

[pipers_son]

[See, now he feels guilty. Being in a position of responsibility sucks. Joker's expression shifts back to normal, although he's heaving out a sigh at the same time.]

I know he did, and I'm not surprised. I think it's both of yer faults, honestly, although I know ya both meant well. That doesn't change the fact of the matter that it was a, frankly, stupid decision.

Did ya even have a plan? [Considering what he was able to see around the Rose Queen, he sure doubts it.]

[hippocarnival]

Well, we didn't plan on leaving. [There wasn't a lot of planning the whole event. Yuya deflates slightly, pursing his lips.] I've been learning magic to protect everyone in case of stuff like this, but I can't use it if I'm not there.

[Joker said protect everyone after all, not that Yuya needed to be told to do it.]

... I'm going to help save him. And Creation is going to keep him safe until we do.

[pipers_son]

Good ta hear on the Creation front, but, judgin' by yer words, I'm gonna take it that ya didn't plan at all.

[Everything else can be addressed in a minute.]

[hippocarnival]

... No. [Go on and say it, he's ready to take it.]

[pipers_son]

[Take that light swat to the head, although Joker doesn't make it really hard.]

Friendship doesn't make up for lack of plannin'! Ya got a brain, so ya need ta use it, especially if yer gonna go harassin' a fae queen!

[Although it still wasn't as bad as what Lauren did.... but that is an incredibly low bar.]

There's no excuse for that. If ya have the time ta cobble together a plan, even if it's not a great one, it's better than runnin' in blind. Got it? Or else no one will bring ya on any rescue attempt.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya flinches as he's smacked, ducking his head.] I got it, I got it!

... Sorry. [He would still come back, but they probably could have come up with something while they were digging through.]

[pipers_son]

Ya better be.

[C'mere, you, time to mess up that anime protagonist hair some more with a ruffle. Be glad he has a new hand that isn't wooden.]

Even if ya don't like it, ya do know that keepin' all of ya safe is part of my job, right? Not as much as the Warden, sure, but...

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya grumbles as his hair is tousled, though he doesn't push Joker away.] I know, but...

[His fingers curl more tightly around his staff. He doesn't look up.] I want to protect my friends.