hippocarnival | Lost Carnival

....I'm not worried about how dangerous things might hurt you, [she corrects.]

I'm worried about how You hurt you.

[Yuya looks confused at that.] I'm not hurting myself.

[He's not sure where she's going with that.]

[REIRA LEARNED CROSSED ARMS. It only looks cute when employed by someone this small though. No one will be getting ashamed here, probably.] ....You keep thinking about things and getting worried and upset.

....And you're not doing anything to feel better either. ....That's hurting.

... Reira, these are the Fae that hurt everyone before. They've kidnapped people. [Kidnapped Yuya's friends. It's an extremely dire situation, something he thought after the Prince would be obvious.

Of course he's worried and upset. It's no light matter to 'feel better' while people he cares about are at the mercy of the Courts. He knows they won't be kind to those in their hands now.] I'm not giving up on them, you know. But I'm really not the one in trouble here.

....That's still not what I said.

[She is crossing her arms so hard!! Why isn't this working.] You can do things to feel better without giving up. But you're only thinking if the bad things...And not just as bad things, even. Otherwise, you wouldn't be saying things like 'you should leave' or 'you should stop your contract'. ....You're...

[...She's going to come out and say it, at this point. But crossing her arms like this isn't comfortable, so those are going down while she looks down.] ...You're scared. ...You're scared like you are when people you know are in trouble...But when that happens, you get more than scared, and more than sad, [she says quietly.] You hurt too much. It's what happens with other things too. [CoughZarcCough]

...I'm not asking you to believe. ...it feels like that's too hard for you, right now.

...But you have to stop hurting you. Everything already hurts you enough. That's why I'm worried about you.

[Yuya's expression eases, although it's vague and hard to read. It's not like Reira is wrong, but she's taking Yuya's stress a lot closer to heart than he expected. He thought he was holding it in pretty well this time, but maybe not.

He closes his eyes, taking a breath to push his thoughts of the current situation aside and let his emotions settle. He doesn't want to put this onto her if it's just going to make her worry about his worry.

So he gives himself the second to push all of that down, and then looks up at her with a bright expression.] I really appreciate it, but I mean it when I say you don't have to worry about me, okay?

[He gives her shoulder a gentle squeeze before moving to get to his feet.] I'm not hurting myself like that. If I trust you to keep yourself safe, then trust me to take care of myself too.

[There is really no avoiding this, is there. She frowns- not too harshly but...She's frowning.]

....I'm not going to stop worrying about people I like, [she mutters, letting out an almost sad sigh.] ....But... ....I'll try to let you stop doing that, I guess.

....I can tell when you're doing it though, [she adds, voice as strong and firm as she can dare to make it.] Even if you smile, you can't hide feelings. ....

....So....Really, really try, this time. ...ok?

[He can't hide them, huh... it's a bit of a weird notion, given how much he used to genuinely hide his feelings behind smiles and jokes and ran away from his fear. It's not exactly that he finds himself slipping into those habits with Reira, but she's a nice kid. Whenever he wears his fear or pain a little more openly, she always seems to take it so badly.

Of course he doesn't expect a seven year old to help him cope the way he would Gongenzaka. It's just still a lesson in how much more he needs to compose himself around Reira than around the kids at You Show, to keep from burdening her with it.]

Yeah, I get it. [Yuya's voice, in contrast, is light as he gently nudges her forward again.] I'll be fine... did Reiji already go back to your trailer?

Good. ....Because I can't turn that off, and happy feelings feel nicer. [she adds, as if perhaps adding a selfish spin will make it stick more.

That said, she raises her brows.] Ah...He got carried away by Kage- like I said before, right? So, he should be there...

....unless she flew somewhere else... [She half laments, sighing. Dumb NotSparrow.]

[Yuya raises a brow in return. He's not sure how he's going to manage only being positive around Reira, but... he'll figure something out.]

Who's Kage? [He didn't really pick up on that much, although confirmation was really what he was looking for... which Reira herself evidently doesn't have.]

Well, I can take you back to your trailer and if he's not there, we'll call him.

[She will, most undoubtedly, be Very Lenient and Forgiving about that, don't worry Yuuya.

It's a very specific sort of sadness after all. And, well, talking about sparrows is a good distraction.] Kage is the little bird that Foster made live again..! He gave me it, and I named her 'Kage', after Joker helped think of names..!

....She's not a little bird right now though... ...Foster told me to send her back so he could make her strong enough to take niisama and I back here if it was dangerous...

....I think...he tried to make a griffin...? [Her tone says she's not sure, but at the very least not disgusted by it anyway.]

...why do you want to talk to niisama? [she asks, entirely unsuspecting of Yuuya's goal.]

Tried to...? [The sparrow, right? He doesn't know much about Foster's abilities, so he doesn't much of a reference for what she's talking about. But he assumes it's not just a tiny sparrow anymore if it's supposed to protect her.]

Reiji only signed on recently, so he's never really met any Fae besides the Ringmaster... I don't want him to be caught by surprise by them.

[The Sparrow, indeed. Reira simply tilts her head, nodding all at once.] ....Right now, Kage still has two legs. They're lion legs, but it's only two.

Umm...-! I've been telling him about faeries, though! ....And I told Kage to bring us to the Carnival, so they should still be in here, to stay safe, at least...

Yeah, but I know most of these Fae specifically. [Portland was a trip where Yuya could not keep his nose out of Fae business.] They're... it's kind of a grudge.

[Yo what]

...You mean you...met them?

[And as an after thought-]

....you probably shouldn't tell niisama that part. [He will immediately become (more) irritating to him, she's certain.

Yeah, uh... it's a long story. [He rubs the back of his neck.] The carnival had issues with them when we visited Portland. I don't think any of them care about me, but...

[His gaze drops down a little.] Some of the people they took, they hurt before.

Mnhhh... ....are you sure they won't care..? [Spoilers: At least one cares] We have time for long stories..! It's probably a good idea to make sure you know what the story is before you talk to niisama anyway, [She adds, mostly just wanting to hear more.]

...We can walk, at the same time. And... ...maybe we'll find ways to stop them, because you're talking about them. ...Even if the book magic didn't work, [She mutters, frowning. She's not entirely clear on that, but Herbert insisted that he'd only cut the water and then the lady was gone. So that stinks.]

[Yuya genuinely doesn't believe that any of the Fae will, ultimately, look twice at him. Nightshade didn't, the Rose Queen successfully deterred him and his obsessed with Steven. He's definitely not in the position of him or Strange.] I didn't forget what happened.

[He was there, so he's not sure what she means by making sure he knows the story.] Back then, we had the help of the Angels. They're as powerful as the Fae, I guess, but even then it was hard.

I didn't say you forgot. You just need to make sure you tell a story properly, or niisama gets more interested in fighting things.

[Well, fighting isn't the right term here but...Eh.]

...Oh!

Angels are things that were made after fae! They're the ones that represent rules and 'order'... ...that's what Foster said.

I guess? [That sounds about right, but Yuya sure wasn't privy about that book.

Anyway, he has enough faith in Reiji that he won't be an idiot. He doesn't have the same influence in the carnival to act alone.] But I don't think we'll be able to ask for their help this time... [He scrunches his face.] The Ringmaster has to be able to do something.

Yeah! It went...Creation, then Faeries, and then Angels and demons...and then everything 'reflects' more and more, until you have people.

It's why Faeries are like people, but with lots of power. [People would disagree with you kid, but hey.]

...Mnh... ...I don't know how you could call an angel... I saw a book ghost that was from an 'angel' book, but that's not the same...

[Oh, what little they know,]

...The Ringmaster doesn't like what's happening, does she, [she finds herself asking, looking down.]

No. She doesn't want things to be this way. [Although he won't say she's made the best decisions for them coming to this.] It's not what she made the carnival for, but... as long as the Courts keep chasing her, and us, it'll keep happening.

[But he doesn't know how to make them stop. To make them not care?]

Mnh. So the 'miracles' are to make them stay away then. Like a big shield- big enough that everywhere we go is safe.

[Sadly, Reira is Agreeing-] ...That's what the first one is doing right now, right?

...Keeping them out of the Carnival.

It might be helping? [Yuya shrugs.] It's the Ringmaster's realm, so she's the most powerful person in it because of that... a lot like the Prince. No one can get in if she doesn't let them.

[She definitely made it sound like the host of the realm has the most control, when she explained it to him.]

Even if they really tried?

[Well, she supposes that makes sense anyway.] Um... ...So...you said you knew who all the faeries were. ...Who were the ones that weren't flowers? I remember we got warned about flower ones, but...

[Not so much the Others.]

Lost Carnival | Inbox

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when u go back to check things and realize you style swapped mid tag WELP

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Fun things about Reira's Emotional Range Growth: realizing her brother is actually a shithead

No dignity ever

he did this to himself-

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correct me if it turns out that was a security only post wheeze

I don't remember \o/

WE'LL ROLL WITH IT- also wheeze I guess that's gonna be a handwaved convo bc RAILES ON HIATUS STILL

We were all in Portland, so we know how it goes anyway

YEAH

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