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Angela	The Dawn and Wedge Offices are well respected organizations known for their success in completing missions, being easy to work with, and professional behavior. It's actually a bit unusual for them to put out a semi-open call for assistance least of all aiming that call for assistance towards multiversal Elites. The job is to meet up with the two offices, in the Backstreets of District J, and then proceed together towards the last known sighting of the 8 O'Clock Circus which, as one might expect, has only been spotted around 8 PM local time. District J is the type of District where the Backstreets and the Nest are very similar in vibe as if Las Vegas was a country. The streets are lined with casinos, hotels, arcades, bowling alleys, theaters, museums, and are filled with such swaths of light (lower case) that even in the evening, it's as easy to see in front of you as if it were day. The big difference between the Nest and the Backstreets is a matter of style. There's still plenty of casinos and hawkers trying to push their wares onto you, but the glitz and glamour are decidedly cheaper and the buildings are decidedly shorter and the roads more maze-like rather than straightforward. The plan is to meet these two teams in front of the Lethe Theater that is mostly empty, judging from looking through the windows, and hasn't been cleaned up in at least a week. There isn't much attention on the meetup in particular, but it isn't exactly an unusual sight for Fixers to meet up somewhere and then delve into the depths of the Backstreets for a job. Salvador and his team is known to Trídéag with the former having informed Lilian Rook about the various Associations and having been at the Naming Ceremony that officially annointed them. He is with both his proteges today: Grade 4 Yuna and Grade 5 Philip with Salvador himself being recognized as a Grade 3. Salvador is a mustachioed old man, dressed simply with a zweihander at his back. If he wasn't wearing it, he'd look like any other old man you might run into on the street. Yuna is a green haired woman whose most distinguishing feature is the cello case she has on her back. Philip is also armed with a sword, though it is a significantly lighter sword than what Salvador is carrying, and wears a black turtleneck and glasses. Between the three, he is noticeably on edge, but they're all reasonably approachable. With them is another older man though he stands out more by comparison. He must be Oscar of the Wedge Office. He wears a tricorne hat with black wrappings covering his right eye. He is dressed mostly in a black coat, pants, and boats with a white ascot with his beard neatly trimmed into a goatee. He has a rather large lance in his hands, though the tip is pointed down. His team is nowhere to be found. "Thank you for coming." Salvador says. "To be honest, I was hoping for the opportunity to work with some Outsiders or--as you call them--Elites for some time. I've always been quite curious about how you went about your missions--particularly after I heard about how you rescued those poor kids abandoned by the Zwei." "Easy." Oscar says. "You're being pretty up front about our secondary goal for this operation." Salvador chuckled. "I've found there's rarely a reason to be cagey, old friend."
Angela	"We have a location but not much else. Most people who find this place never show up again and those that do--well it's tough to know how much is real and how much is delusion. They talk of clowns trying to sniff them, mermaids this far out from the Great Lake... I wouldn't go into this expecting an innocent circus." Yuna adds. Philip will probably end up staring at Rita no matter how innocuous she presents herself but frankly everyone else is also getting their fair share of stares when Philip thinks you aren't noticing... but he is staying quiet, whether because he's the lowest ranking person on his team or just general shyness. "I've sent my team to scout ahead but we can move whenever you're ready. If you've got any questions, you've got into they check in to ask them." Oscar adds.
Kale Hearthward	Kale makes the mistake of making a detour to go shopping. He shows up laden with 'absolutely genuine' jewelry, a bottle of sugar pills that are 'absolutely guaranteed' to raise (lower) his fixer rank, and half of a paycheck spent on a horse race bet that he made based on a tip from an 'absolutely trustworthy' bookie. (Despite expectations, the horse wins and Kale's money triples because fortune favors fools.) > "To be honest, I was hoping for the opportunity to work with some Outsiders or--as you call them--Elites for some time." Kale puffs up a little bit. "Well, we are pretty great, to be fair." > clowns trying to sniff them, "Sorry, trying to do what now?" "... So, why a circus? Just to attract people in, or what? And what's the plan here, are we going to act as though we're punters, or what?"
Aika Rosewater	Having not one but two jobs scheduled nearly back-to-back in the City was probably the best introduction to the lay of the land Aika could reasonably ask for. There's an abundance of people operating here, and a lot of it's muddied by complicated local politics, which means when clearcut jobs hit your desk, you don't wait.     She fits in, at least; if you can look past the bright pink hair, cat ears and tail, the elegant and tightly cut suit she's wearing, complete with gloves and nice shoes, won't make anyone bat an eye if she says she's more or less a Fixer.     Admittedly she's never been to Vegas, but the busier parts of New York, especially at night, aren't too far off. She's not at home, but she's not out of her depth either-- though the occasional loud noise or three makes her ears twitch in a way that seems uncomfortable. She's keeping a bright and beaming smile, either way!     She's on time to meet with Salvador and his team; the sword made him easy to spot, and she's thankful for that. "Thank you for coming."     "Oh yeah? Pleasure is all mine, I'd wanted to check this City out for some time now, so it's no trouble. I get it though! You want to see how other people work. Nothing wrong with that, aha~." "They talk of clowns trying to sniff them,"     Yuna starts expositing-- Aika catches on the same little detail as Kale, apparently. "Can you run that one by me again?" "I've sent my team to scout ahead but we can move whenever you're ready."     The rest is straightforward at least, so Aika just nods.     "Clowns aside it sounds simple enough, so it'll probably be anything -but-. Any idea what they need people for? Are we talking human trafficking here or something way more fucked up we need to know about?"
Rita Ma	Best, Rita thinks, to project a steady sort of image in the City. Her dusty-brown dress and white bolero jacket, accented with white shoes and a red shoelace ribbon tying back her hair, are meant to seem subdued and almost lower-class but professional.      The Fixers will know she isn't normal, even without having to look at the Trideag sword on her back. But she'll seem approachable, she hopes; down-to-earth.      ... Of course, against the glaring neon lights and chirping advertisements, her low-key outfit couldn't stand out worse.      "It's good to meet you. I'm Rita," she offers pleasantly while holding out her hand to shake (as if they didn't already know), and giving a reassuring-sympathetic smile to Phillip in particular. "I'm sorry; I know one of you is Salvador, and one of you is Oscar, but...?" Prompting for names!      Being studied, of course, isn't something she finds objectionable- or if she does, she took it for granted anyway.      Question time: "You didn't hear what kind of mermaids, did you? Like, what Whale they might belong to, or how transformed they are...?" "There's no indication of whether the missing people are dead or alive, right?" "... Are you some kind of pirate, Mr. Oscar?"
Veronica	Veronica had heard whispers in the collective subconscious of some weird circus that popped up recently in District J, but it was literally 'not her circus, not her monkeys' until Rita reached out to her for assistance. Begrudgingly - or at least as begrudgingly as can be mustered against Rita - she agreed to lend a hand or three. So here she is in her usual slacks and leather vest, with her EGO-corroded arm on full display as a subtle show of (potential) force to the Fixers present.     She's not exactly at home among the glitz of this District, even if it is showing plenty of rough edges - her home turf is a place covered in rust and broken promises, without even the gaudy, chipping coat of paint that this place is afforded. She makes a face somewhere between amusement and disgust at Kale's oblivious, heavily-merchandised buy-in to the 'system'.     "Bird fella's got a point though," she says. "You've sent people in to snoop around, and now we're, what, the muscle?" She catches Philip eyeing her arm and subtly flexes it with a creak of bending rebar, giving him a little 'I see you' eyebrow arch. "We supposed to recover anybody they've, uh, conscripted? Or, just learn the who and why behind the operation?"     Internally, she tries opening her mind to this region of the City, to get a feel for the psycho-social tides and how exactly this circus is warping the 'vibes'. She's not tapping in too closely to the undercurrents of thought in this District, because she doesn't like what those thoughts have built in the physical world, but enough to get a feel for the shape of the Eight O'Clock Circus, the way it juts out like a large stone in a river.
Kale Hearthward	> <J-IC-Scene> Kale Hearthward, without being asked, "Kale Hearthward, Paladins Search and Rescue, Fixer Grade Seven." Kale pops a couple sugar pills whenever he or someone else mentions their fixer grade.
Sarracenia	Sarracenia...hasn't left her castle in over two days now. She only left today because she knows Gregory wouldn't appreciate it if she didn't go help people because of what happened to him. And also she is angry and might get to smash something. The last fun thing they visited in the City needed things to be smashed.      She does show up in her Trideag outfit: A white silk button-up blouse with ruffles down the front, a black velvet vest with golden buttons and green lapels, and a long and slightly airy black skirt with flowing green ivy-like embroidery. The skirt reaches just past her knees, where broad-striped black and green leggings can be seen before disappearing into pointed black boots with gold zippers along the insides. But, she definitely looks disheveled. Her hair is only barely groomed and tied in a long ponytail as the easiest way to keep it managed. Her eyes are red and her make-up is smeared down her cheeks from crying, leaving flowing discolored marks beneath her eyes, even despite her eyepatch.      As introductions are made, she almost doesn't do her customary curtsey. But, as her mouth opens she stops, then curtseys lightly before speaking. "Princess Sarracenia Sundew, Grade 6 Fixer of Trideag. It is good to meet you."      She takes a deep breath and lets it out. "An investigation into a whimsical thing like a circus in the City. Surely this will be fine and not terrible during perhaps the most terrible week I've ever had." she says. She seems quite unarmed at the moment. Her purse and Silver lotus hairpin would look like mere fashion accessories to one who does not know her.      And her -favorite- person is here. Kale. If he looks her way he earns only an annoyed 'mmph' in response even before he does anything. Rita is here as well. Sarra offers Rita a friendly wave at least, and despite her demeanor listens rather intently at the question of mermaids. Aika and Veronica are unknown to her, so other than a cursory appraising glance she doesn't address them for now beyond her introduction.
Kale Hearthward	> "Princess Sarracenia Sundew, Grade 6 Fixer of Trideag." A double handful of pills disappear down Kale's beak. The bottle's already half empty.
Sarracenia	>'A double handful of pills disappear down Kale's beak. The bottle's already half empty.'      Sarra raises an eyebrow. "Not that I care, but are you not worried about overdosing or something?"
Angela	''Well, we are pretty great, to be fair.'' "People who speak like that in The City are usually the first to go down in a serious situation." Oscar says, though he is looking at Salvador while he says it. "I'll be blunt. Odds are high that offices like ours are going to start getting sent to the Library soon. We'd rather be able to leave like your team did, so any information is helpful. If you've a price--" "There's no need to hurry on that front. Let's focus on our mission here and perhaps we can earn some trust." Salvador says. ''Trying to do what now?'' "Buddy, the City makes all sorts of weirdos that even you seem normal." Sal says to Kale before adding, "First our goal is to find the circus, then our goal is to determine what they did to the missing people, and then if possible eliminate the circus." "If it proves to be necessary though with mysterious anomolous entities like this, it is often the case." Salvador adds. He's a cautious man. He looks to Aika and admits to him, "I don't know your name, but we are not inclined to reject any help today. I've a bad feeling about this circus so even if you're not exactly tested, we're happy to have you." He pauses at her last question. "It could be. It could be something worse. Or it could be nothing. It isn't uncommon for people to just stop showing up to work but to assume this recent uptick of disappearances and the recent appearance of this circus are unrelated--it would be careless." ''I know one of you is Salvador, and one of you is Oscar, but...?'' "Ahh, yes, my apologies. I am Salvador, my friend there is Oscar. That's Yuna and that young man there is Philip." He gives a nod to the two of them in order. Philip offers a shaky hand to Rita, untouched by reassurances. "Nice to, uh, meet you." He seems a little frightened but is trying to push it down. ''You didn't hear what kind of mermaids, did you?'' "We're not sure they ARE mermaids, but the description largely fit what you'd expect though it seemed to have some sort of song that left an impression on those we interviewed." Sal supplies. "No indication whether they are dead or alive or ... something else." ''Are you some kind of pirate, Mr. Oscar.'' Oscar's grim countenance fades into utter shock. "What?... what gave you that idea? ... I'm just old. Not everybody who is old is a pirate." ''And now we're, what, the muscle?'' Philip flinches when Veronica reveals she knows he's gaping at her, cheeks faintly red from embarrassment and getting a small kick in the leg from Yuna. "U..um... Rescuing the people would be nice, if we can, but our primary objective is to put a stop to it or get information to help others put a stop to it." He visibly slouches. Veronica can tap into the cultural undercurrent here. Frankly the sad truth of it is, the 8 O'Clock Circus hasn't made that much of an impression. There's some disruption, for sure, but it's more like a stone being thrown into the River rather than a big rock jutting out through it. The general belief is that people are just using it as an excuse to skip out on work but there are those who are curious at just what a circus is, and think that maybe one would be fun--there is that pull to just 'run away to the circus', just like the cliche, but just like the cliche it doesn't actually seem to be a common thing. Maybe it's just too new? Or maybe the Circus is meant to be a cozier operation rather than one that upends the status quo for everyone in the neighborhood. District J is in some ways the City at its most pure, lives can vanish in an instant but business goes on as mindlessly as ever.
Angela	''Princess Sarracenia Sundew'' "Ah..." Salvador smiles at Sarracenia. He honestly has something of a Gregory vibe to him. "I've heard of you from Miss Xiao. You are not here as a sister of the Liu, but feel free to rely on us, Lady Sarracenia." He doesn't want to draw attention by using Princess but is trying to honor the title anyway by using 'Lady'. Oscar suddenly lifts a hand up to his ear as a woman's voice comes over his comms. "We've got a sighting. Biggs and Sixth. Don't think they've noticed us but hurry, it sounds like they're preparing for a show." "Time to get going." Oscar says, walking on ahead and clearly expecting the others to follow. The Dawn Office does.
Kale Hearthward	> "People who speak like that in The City are usually the first to go down in a serious situation." "And yet I still stand," says Kale, arms crossed. "Is it so hard to believe that I simply *am* that good?" > "Time to get going." "Alright then. I'll be on overwatch." Kale clicks his heels together, activating his jetboots and lifting up into the air. "Biggs and Sixth, right? I'll let you know if I see something." Kale goes on ahead to find an aerial perch and start scouting - mostly to see if he can't scope out locations that the circus might be leading people into.
Rita Ma	Rita's hand feels pretty normal, to shake! Very handlike. Normal human amount of grip. Only sliiightly clammy.      "What?... what gave you that idea?"      "Um, I'm sorry! The... the eyepatch?" Rita says awkwardly, while holding up her hands. She means his face-wrappnigs. "And the hat?" The tricorne. "I... didn't know that non-pirates wore those. I'm still getting used to the ways people dress here, I guess."      Oh, god. Now she's the Clothes Bozo.      Rita rubs the embarrassment off her face and follows Oscar briskly.      En route, she glances over at Kale uneasily and senses an opportunity to score some Reputation Points. "... You know, Mr. Kale, you don't have to say you're a 'Grade 7 Fixer' every time. I know you're a good fighter. I'm sure the City will rate you higher once they know more about you, right?"      This might or might not have the desired effect.
Aika Rosewater	"I've a bad feeling about this circus so even if you're not exactly tested,"     Aika squints. "Alright listen just because I'm a cat doesn't mean-- oohthefixertesting right right right cool cool," she laughs, scratching the back of her head just a bit awkwardly. Her tail is slightly more animated. "Rescuing the people would be nice,"     "But anyway, yeah, got it. Just don't go asking me to leave someone behind back there if we do find people who need a hand. I'd really like us to walk away from this with info, less disappearances, AND something other than bloody dog tags to show for the ones that've already happened." Figure of speech, of course. "Princess Sarracenia Sundew, Grade 6 Fixer of Trideag."     "Oh it's you!!" Spoken in the way one speaks when they're getting to meet, like, a character from a TV show. Or a princess they've heard mentioned so much. "Oh crap what am I thinking, uh-- my condolences, your majesty." She heard!! She listens. "Time to get going."     "Right, right. I'll go on ahead with Kale then, catch you all there!" Aika stretches her arms, cracks her knuckles, and then sprints forward-- shimmering silver light engulfs her briefly and a very standard, albeit pink and white, cat takes her place, moving inhumanly quickly and being out of sight but moments later, slipping between and on buildings for convenience.     Rooftops, emergency staircases, balconies and decorations along building walls, it's all trivial to navigate, and she'll be at the rendezvous point in a heartbeat. Long enough to snoop around, in fact, aided by being just a cat.     ... she'd be loathe to admit it but part of her just wanted to chase Kale. This is normal, it happens.
Veronica	"Odds are high that offices like ours are going to start getting sent to the Library soon."     This, for some reason, sets Veronica off. "Library, library, library. That's all you goons care about in District 12 these days, huh? Who keeps paying you to cause us so much trouble, anyway?"     "First our goal is to find the circus, then our goal is to determine what they did to the missing people, and then if possible eliminate the circus."     "What about 'make sure it doesn't happen again'? 'Find out who put this literal freakshow in motion'? Or would that be cutting into next month's paycheck," Veronica snarks. Despite her acerbic tone, she does follow along with the Fixers when it's time to move, shrugging her shoulders and pressing a fist against concrete palm in preparation.
Angela	''And yet I still stand. Is it so hard to believe that I simply *am* that good.'' "...Well feel free to prove me wrong. That'd be something I'd like to see." ''Only sliiiightly clammy.'' Philip tries to discretely rub his hand against his pant leg. ''I... didn't know that non-pirates wore those.'' "Sometimes... even in the City, people lose an eye and can't get it replaced." Oscar manages, trying to get back to normal. "...Being decently well dressed for a Fixer advertises professionalism." Maybe he just likes the hat. ''Who keeps paying you to cause us so much trouble, anyway?'' "Shut it." Yuna is the one with the attitude to speak up here. "You can risk your skin as you like, but I personally would prefer to see tomorrow. We're Fixers, not superheroes." "Um." Philip says. "How do you stop circuses from happening?" Salvador doesn't seem to be bothered by Aika's misunderstanding. "Certainly, if you wish to accomplish more than the strict parameters of the mission, feel free. I have no objection to rescuing people who need help, but that is the job we were given. If the risk is reasonable, we can even lend a hand, but my responsibility is that to my Office first before the people--please do not forget that." The ability to fly is actually pretty useful when scouting the City by virtue of there not being that many threats that can fly and the labyrinthine streets often mean being able to fly just lets you bypass a fair chunk of travel time. So naturally, he's going to make it on scene first. He sees ... okay, first he probably sees the big circus tent sitting there in a desolate parking lot, all sorts of lights flashing and music playing out from it. The tent itself is a bit ugly looking for a circus tent, the colors a bit drab, but amongst the City it's like seeing a blazing rainbow out of nowhere. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxI01asy6Yc Kale also sees--okay there's no better way to put it than saying two battle maids, wearing the Wedge Office uniforms and a headdress each, both carrying large spears in hand. One has long hair and the other short but they look otherwise pretty much identical. One is hanging back, murmuring into a radio and the other is approaching the big top's flap and peeking in. "Come in, come in...!" A voice from within the tent cries out. "Miss Sun told me we'd have a great big audience today...!" The closer battle maid is suddenly pulled into the tent proper. "Please don't be shy! Come, come, you have nothing to fear! This is a place of laughter, not sorrow! Cast away your troubles and catch a new scent!" Aika is the second to arrive and can catch the tail end of all that but the other battle maid is swearing and looking out for the others to arrive--not thinking to look up to notice Kale and having not seen Aika yet.
Sarracenia	'Odds are high that offices like ours are going to start getting sent to the Library soon. We'd rather be able to leave like your team did, so any information is helpful. If you've a price--'      Sarra huffs in annoyance and crosses her arms. "I have been ordered not to reveal much. I was hoping that would change after recent events, but so far it has not been counter-manded." she says, obviously not happy about it.      'Ah...I've heard of you from Miss Xiao. You are not here as a sister of the Liu, but feel free to rely on us, Lady Sarracenia.'      Sarra blinks in surprise, then offers a light smile. She seems to appreciate the use of Lady. "Miss Xiao?" she says. The princess is ignorant to most connections between larger associations and the smaller offices. "I quite like her. I am a bit surprised to hear she has spoken of me. All good things, I hope?" Unlike when most people say that, Sarra seems sincere in her hope. It would be nice to hear that someone speaks kindly of her.      'Is it so hard to believe that I simply *am* that good?'      "Yes." Sarra answers flatly. She doesn't deny that he is that good, at least.      'But anyway, yeah, got it. Just don't go asking me to leave someone behind back there if we do find people who need a hand. I'd really like us to walk away from this with info, less disappearances, AND something other than bloody dog tags to show for the ones that've already happened.'      'Oh it's you!! Oh crap what am I thinking, uh-- my condolences, your majesty.'      Aika makes a good first impression on Sarra, despite have a large pink component to her color scheme. At the condolences, Sarra smiles appreciatively and her one visible eye moistens noticeably. "Thank you. I do appreciate it. Aika, was it?"      'Library, library, library. That's all you goons care about in District 12 these days, huh? Who keeps paying you to cause us so much trouble, anyway?'      Sarra -visibly- bristles. It almost sounds like Veronica works for the Library. Combined with an unfortunate turn of phrased regarding her very recently passed butler, and Sarra is giving Veronica quite the Look. "...did you say...'us'?" she says, her tone quite unfriendly. Luckily, Veronica starts talking about helping people. Though, the dig at Fixer paychecks is also a point lost. "If you work for they Library, why would they bother sending you out to help people? That is very nearly the opposite of what the Library is currently trying to do in the City. And, please do not assume that Fixers are all in it only for the money. -Some- of us wish to make this City a better place."      Sarra could fly, but...Kale is up there. She has trouble dealing with him on a good day. So, she just remains with the ground-bound group.
Kale Hearthward	> "... You know, Mr. Kale, you don't have to say you're a 'Grade 7 Fixer' every time. I know you're a good fighter. I'm sure the City will rate you higher once they know more about you, right?" "Oh?" Kale puffs up a bit. "Huh. You know, I suppose you're right! I don't need to keep reminding people of what's clearly visible right in front of their faces." Once Kale pulls ahead, the half-full pill bottle is found sticking out of the next trash can the rest of the group passes. > "Right, right. I'll go on ahead with Kale then, catch you all there!" "Try to keep up, then," Kale calls back as he heads off. This has the unfortunate effect of Kale trying to show off a bit more, when earlier he'd been focused on just getting into position without theatrics or aerial stunts. > battle maids Kale could totally pull that look off, if he wasn't forbidden by four separate multiversal treaties, an ethics panel, and an ancient prophecy. Shame. He frowns when he sees one of them get grabbed. Should he rush in? Maybe there's another entrance. He takes a quick aerial lap around, seeing if there's anywhere they're pulling people (or corpses) out of the tent from.
Veronica	"Shut it."     "You wish you could make me," Veronica grumbles. She has no immediate answer to Philip's question.     "If the risk is reasonable, we can even lend a hand, but my responsibility is that to my Office first before the people--please do not forget that."     "Oh, I won't." A surly pause. "Believe me." Veronica tilts her head to one side to crack her neck.     "...did you say...'us'?"     Veronica curls her EGO-corroded concrete hand into a fist, with a sound like crunching glass. "Yeah. Got a problem with Backstreets folk?" At the mention of working for the Library, she scoffs. "No, I'm just from the district. You know, like I *live* there? And I'm not someone to just let your type walk all over us."     "And, please do not assume that Fixers are all in it only for the money. -Some- of us wish to make this City a better place."     For just a moment, Veronica looks surprised - the City is not a place where many even pay lip service to such an ideal. Then her half-scowl's back. "You can start by trying as hard as the rest of us." It sounds a little forced. Something in Sarra's attitude has Veronica's attention, enough that she'll be keeping an eye on how the princess approaches this operation.     As the group of Fixers and Elites rounds a corner and sees the circus tent, Veronica tries to get her mind off her disdain for the more businesslike Offices (which is, of course, separate from but similar to her contempt for the *less* businesslike ones). In the interest of peace she instead turns her attention once more to the psychogeography, not of the City at large but of this circus, this microcosm of bacchanalia standing out like a zit on the unwashed face of District J. Does it have a true culture of its own? Or will it stand out against the backdrop not as a bright spot, but a gaping absence of place-ness?     "If you're done talking about dead dogs, there's the circus up ahead, and- shit, they grabbed one of the Wedge."     "Hmph." Veronica picks up her pace, hustling toward and into the tent's front entrance. "Anyone needs me to go big, gimme a shout."
Aika Rosewater	A cat arrives at the tent, not too far 'behind' Kale. Him showing off along the way makes it HARDER for Aika to fight off the urge to leap at him the first chance she gets, but she'll be good. She's a professional! She's here for--     Well, not to play cat and mouse. Cat and bird?     The sight of the maid being YANKED into the tent makes her rumble, though she diverts from the one way in. It's a tent-- it's a circus tent! With ropes and stakes around the edges, but, surely, more than one way in if you're willing to just scrunch yourself under one of the tent's many 'walls'/edges?     She'll leave the main entrance to the others.     For now, the pink and white cat tries to cram herself in from another angle, digging just a bit if she has to, and using her senses of smell and hearing to find the most quiet spot. Best case, she slips right to where she needs to be. Worst case she's just coming in at another angle when a fight breaks out. It's a pretty good deal either way.
Sarracenia	'No, I'm just from the district. You know, like I *live* there?'      Sarra loses some of her tenseness.      'You can start by trying as hard as the rest of us.'      Sarra hmphs at Veronica. "Do not assume you know just how hard everyone is trying." Sarra's hand wanders to her eyepatch. She's a princess with authentic battle damage.      'If you're done talking about dead dogs, there's the circus up ahead, and- shit, they grabbed one of the Wedge.'      That draws Sarra's attention quickly, and she rushes forward without hesitation right toward that main entrance. She reaches to touch her Silver lotus, and liquid metal flows from it in a graceful arc as she moves her hand. She then holds her hands as if gripping something large, and the Silver fills in the shape of a hammer as tall as the princess with a head that is surely heavier than she is. The style of dress of the Wedge agents is not lost on her, and it seems to fuel her anger. "Do not harm them!" she exclaims as she bursts through the entrance.
Rita Ma	"Sometimes... even in the City, people lose an eye and can't get it replaced."      Oh no, she's worse than a Clothes Bozo. "N-no, I know that! I mean, my- um, sister- wore an eyepatch for a long time, too! I just..." Oh, Rita... "... Sorry."      "Huh. You know, I suppose you're right!"      Rita perks up a little. Yay! Kale points earned!      ... She does hang back for a moment to check what was on that discarded pill bottle's label, though. It's nosiness for a good cause. He's not overdosing on anything, right...?      "That's all you goons care about in District 12 these days, huh?"      Rita winces, aside, but she doesn't say anything publically. Then she might have to start answering questions about why she brought in a Watch agent.      On the way to the circus, she stays near the fore of the party, but doesn't run ahead. That leaves her coming up after the first maid vanishes; she has to piece together what's wrong from the others reactions, sharpens into a frown, holds up her finger, and vanishes.      There's no way for an invisible infiltrator to get through a tent flap sneakily, but fortunately, Sarra charging in will let Rita slip in behind.
Angela	''I mean, my- um, sister- worean eyepatch for a long time.'' Oscar's expression softens. He's stern and maybe a bit of a dick but he isn't cruel. "My apologies, Miss Rita. I did not know. Is your sister a pirate? I'm glad that it sounds like her eye has healed." Oscar says. It DID sort of sound like Veronica was saying she was working with the Library. Fortunately, the local Fixers seem to be taking it as a slip of the tongue rather than a confession. They seem varying levels of curious about her arm but are not inquiring about it. Maybe entirely because the situation has taken a sudden turn. Kale goes for the back entrance. And there is one! Circus tents often have multiple entrances and this is one of them! It's not even guarded and he can slip right on through where he'll immediately see a large lion napping on the floor. ...Wait. It's not quite a lion. It has the frills of a lion, but its body is furless aside from a tail stitched on its back. And it's wearing pants, though no shirt, and the body is entirely furless. And the face has black slits for eyes and an open slit mouth. Even the claws/paws look stitched on. Its tail swishes back and forth lazily but it senses Kale's presence and seems to stir. And when Aika joins him, it actually stands up and makes a 'ffffsst!' noise at her, though it doesn't immediately pounce either--eyeing rarily, as if unsure they are guests or intruders. But it's definitely not a normal lion. Eventually it reaches out with one of its 'paws' and attempts to place it on Aika's head, and push it down like it's trying to get Aika to kneel. Not painfully, but with a certain firmness. Veronica enters through the front with Sarracenia, with the naturally more cautious Wedge and Dawn Offices following behind. "Hang back, cover our rear, Philip." Salvador tells his junior. "A...are you sure?" Philip asks and then awkwardly hangs back as everyone else busts on through. Whereupon they see... Well it is certainly designed like a circus, complete with makeshift seats around the corner where one of the battlemaids has been sat down upon with a bag of circus peanuts shoved into her hands. She doesn't seem to be happy about this and when her fellow battlemaid enters, grimaces and looks away from her, embarassed. There's plenty of strange things to see though the one who greets you is a clown wearing a jester cap with rings dangling off its tails. The jester outfit he's wearing is akin to a bodysuit, so formfitting that it looks like it's painted on--he's wearing a mask, or maybe it's a face, with a sewn together mouth with scarred eyes, always 'smiling' in the way commedia del arte masks do.
Angela	"Welcome to the Amazing 8 O'Clock Circus!" He says happily. "Yes, yes, come in! Enjoy the show! You'll love it so much you won't ever want to leave, I'm sure! Just like Mr. Elephant over there...!" He sweeps his arm dramatically towards the 'elephant' which, much like the lion, looks like slabs of flesh stitched together broadly in the shape of an elephant, with a long trunk that ends not in a nose--but in a hand. And a few too many eyes. It looks like someone who has never seen these animals might dream up as a child. But there's more. There's a ... man? Whose lower half is a striped ball with stars plastered over with that is balancing an apple on his head, a multitude of knives in his hands that he's juggling. The promised mermaid, despite Yuna's report, doesn't feel ... quite like the mermaids. She's wholly bipedal, but the head is twisted to the side with a singular eye staring unblinkingly outward and an angler hovering over its mouth. She's ... singing. "Meet Mr. Knife, Mr. Elephant, Miss Mermaid and--oh! Your ringmaster and jesterly jester, Oswald!" He gestures with both hands towards himself before looking around. "Mm...? Someone's missing..." He doesn't seem to notice Rita but he is looking around as if he's expecting someone. "Two someones... One I can smell outside but the other..." Then he turns his gaze upon Veronica. "Ah! But if it isn't the Baker and Seventh herself! The lady who carries an entire town on her back, how strong...how incredible! You'd be a lovely part of our show, would you join us? Pretty please? You must've heard her too, but it isn't too late to find something new about yourself!" He moves closer to Rita, still unseeing, but occassionally sniffling like a bloodhound might. "But Miss Sun told me a Star would be visiting today..." "...Sir. I would not appreciate you manhandling my subordinates. We've heard reports of people vanishing near your ... attraction." Oscar says, clearly disgusted but forcing formality all the same. "Oh yes, yes, a bunch of fuddyduds came to see our show, and they were soooo impressed they decided to stay with the circus...forever!" Oswald smiles. "Just like I'm sure you all wish to, no no no? A life full of smiles and laughter is here and, why, I think some of you would be a good fit..."
Kale Hearthward	THERE'S A LION It's one hundred percent a normal lion. And this is normal lion behavior. "I'm going to suggest you don't let it force you to kneel," advises Kale, drawing one of his swords just in case. This isn't because he thinks something anomalous will happen if Aika kneels, it's because he thinks that'd be really lame. But, anyway. Kale hears what's going on at the front of the circus, and frowns. Is there really a mundane explanation to all this? He casts about backstage, looking for anyone who might be held captive or worse. No need to take them at their word...
Sarracenia	Finding the battlemaid seated unharmed but unhappy keeps Sarra from outright smashing the ringmaster clown. She slows to a stop as he starts speaking, but as her eyes scan the circus she looks decidedly disgusted. Oscar keeps some formality about all this, but Sarra...well, she is hardly in the mood for politeness. Especially about something like this. "Oswald, is it? I am Princess Sarracenia Sundew, Crown Princess of the Sundew Kingdom, Grade 6 Fixer of Trideag, Aspiring Heroine. And now that that is out of the way..." She clears her throat. "Impressed?! I find that highly unlikely! What have you done to them?! Are these creatures those 'fuddyduds' whom you spoke of? Return them to their proper forms at once! A circus is supposed to be about wonder and whimsey! About everyone enjoying themselves of their own volition! As you can see from our friend over there..." She points at the battlemaid. "...people do not enjoy being forced to watch a show. And that is even when it is a -good- show!"      Sarra gives her hammer a twirling flourish, then brandishes it at the clown. "I will give you a bit of slack since you are apparently a clown, and I have heard that clowns are often tortured souls themselves. If you release everyone and return them to their normal forms, perhaps this circus can continue to exist. If not..." She lets the end of that sentence hang, the threat implied.
Aika Rosewater	Aika, a much smaller cat than a lion, freezes as she comes face to face with it. It's not even a normal lion! It's... got stitched on parts, and slits for eyes and a mouth and... is it just a really shitty lion costume come to life? Or with someone in it? She's trying to tell, if she can hear breathing inside it or smell more than one scent, but then it puts its paw on her! That's--!!!     Aika hisses.     Kale doesn't have to advise her, she's already remaining straight and sturdy, impossibly resilient, or at least, unless the lion reveals matching strength.     "So... hi."     How else do you say hi to this thing??     "Can you unpaw me, and we'll talk, or..."     The talking pink cat is surely not making a great case here, but it seems better than jumping straight to attacking.
Veronica	Making her way into the tent, Veronica is briefly stunned by the sight of the horrible fleshy circus entities. She's gotten used to hands in weird positions but the elephant part is new. Just as she realizes these things probably *used* to be people and are now physically part of the show, the jester-ringmaster's attention settles on her.     "You... know me?" she says, caught off-guard again at the name of her own EGO. Then:     "You must've heard her too, but it isn't too late to find something new about yourself!"     Veronica remains stun-locked, before finally putting a few things together. "If this is an EGO it's the sickest one I've heard about - sick in the not-cool way I mean," she says to the Elites around her. Then she meets the ringmaster's discomfiting gaze. "Listen, buster, you can't just decide for somebody else that they're gonna be part of your elephant or whatever. Gotta say, I'm with the- the princess, apparently, on this one. You've got one chance to turn anybody who's been... elephized, back to normal, before I figure out if I can separate 'em by force. This has gotta stop."     "Although," she says, immediately undermining her own position for curiosity's sake, "What'd 'she' say to *you*, that got you like this?"
Rita Ma	Rita would really love to talk to Oscar about Kana more. She will later, when all of this is settled.      Right now her stomach is tying itself up in knots.      Quietly, still cloaked, she slips around Oswald to get a little closer to the attractions. Her arm's crossed over her belly queasily.      Rita telepathically reaches out to the mermaid. She doesn't think she can command it, whatever has been done with it, but at least they can talk. "Are you in pain?" she asks, gently. "Who are you? Do you remember what's happened to you?"      "Mm...? Someone's missing..."      Rita's silent conversation is interrupted. A chill runs up her spine. She turns around, eyes wide, and...      "But Miss Sun told me a Star would be visiting today..."      Shimmering into visibility near Oswald's side, she grips his arm forcefully. For a moment she looks disgusted and angry and like she might just pounce upon him and--      --but looking into the eye-slits of his costume, and its awful smile, she calms herself. Maybe he's a victim, too, she thinks guiltily. It's remarkable how smoothly she can slide back into that stiff-backed polite posture.      "The attractions here used to be humans. They've been cut up, and halfway transformed by something, but it hasn't fully taken. Maybe it takes a while," she says, eyeing Oscar and Salvador as she speaks, though it's framed like a question to the jester.      "Who's Miss Sun? ... I think I'd like to join the circus, Mr. Oswald. How would we do that? Is it you who does the operations, or someone else?"      The idea turns her stomach, but it seems like the best way to get him to divulge more, so she can say it with a pleasant face.
Angela	BACKSTAGE Mr. Lion does remove his paw, shaking his head as he approaches Kale laconically before, as he gets closer, suddenly chomping down with his jaws, intending to shake Kale around a little and then drop him in front of Aika. Odds are, Kale will do something before this happens. At the very least, it seems to just be the lion back here--it seems to be trying to form some sort of reparte with Aika--maybe he thinks Aika wants to join the circus? And wants to offer her a dead bird as encouragement? CENTERSTAGE ''Can you unpaw me, and we'll talk, or...'' ''You... know me?'' "Of course!" Oswald says. "You are a veritable Atlas, carrying a town right on your back! But is a community supposed to be one pushed forward by handprints? Or isn't that... a sacrifice? Filled up on love and potatoes and guiding you to volcanos to push you into. And with such a warm heart!" ''I have heard that clowns are often tortured souls themselves.'' "Oh it's truuuuuue!" Oswald wails. "Can you imagine, living such a fuddy duddy life when your heart learns to dance, to sing, to laugh, to dance some more! Why let it all get you down when you can just...roll like a ball and see where you end up? Does there need to be a meaning when you can just have fun and enjoy the spotlight while you can? I was so sad, so lonely, but Ms. Sun gave me the chance to make friends, a chance to play, and laugh, and be happy and share that happiness with all the people of The City!" ''If you release everyone--'' "Where are the chains, Miss Hammer?" Oswald asks. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I got excited! It's been so long since we've had a new audience! And a brand new batch of clowns! But I didn't bolt her to the bench--" The battlemaid stands up and starts walking to the exit. "W-w-w-wait! Stay until you see the show!" Oswald says, "Then you'll understand what I'm talking about! I'll show you as many times as you need!" He reaches out to stop the short-haired battlemaid when--
Angela	--Shortly before what happens next, Rita reaches out telepathically to Miss Mermaid. La LA La La La LaLA `o/~ is Miss Mermaid's answer. Who are you? Why so blue o/~, I remember I remember o/~ I came here not too long o/~ and was gifted my dream of singing songs o/~ I've always sung inside my head o/~ but this is just the second time my head o/~ had an audience o/~ She seems excited to have Rita telepathically in her skull. Oswald wasn't able to see Rita, but he seems to have some sort of strange sense of smell. He still jumps when Rita grabs his arm, "Eek! So it's true! Miss Rita!" ''The attractions here used to be human'' "That's a narrow definition of human I'm hearing... Oh no, oh no, to hear it from you Miss Rita..." Oswald wails in an overperformative way but it's brief because Rita then volunteers to join the Circus. "You would? You would??" He attempts to take Rita's arm in his own and performs a little dance. "How wonderful and unexpected! Yes, yes, of course. I am the Ringmaster of the Circus, but we're all a big family here, you see! I love my fellow goofs! I've never been so happy! You're already ready, Miss Rita, you're already quite like us--but we're a Circus of Distortions--only they are ready to join and truly live as freely as clowns ought! Miss Sun looked one moment into my heart and instantly understood me, even the parts that I didn't want to admit to anyone, and she spoke so sweetly and we talked and I realized I didn't have to be Mr. Lonely Office Man in a world full of frowns. I could create my own little slice of paradise!" But then he pauses, studying Rita's expression, staring at her like he's suddenly uncertain. Like he wants to believe, but something is nagging at him... Some distance away from the Big Top, but rapidly approaching, Rita can smell the blood without even trying. A big swath of it is approaching the Big Tent. Oswald doesn't seem to be aware of it, his expression wholly studying Rita's. "Shit...! Blood Fiend! Blood Fiend coming!! A big one!" Philip shouts from outside, running inside the Big Top despite orders. "We don't have time... Rita, if any can be saved, can you take them with you?" Salvador asks. "I don't relish facing a Bloodfiend unprepared." "No! She's going to join us!" Oswald shouts.
Kale Hearthward	LION ATTACK "Huh?" says Kale, sensing a disturbance in the wind as it approaches him, and then dashing forward out of the way along with spinning around to face it. "Whoa!" "Hey! Bad lion! Bad! Uh..." Kale grew up in a world without wild animals, so his entire education on 'how to handle a lion' 'what to do when faced with a lion' 'what a lion even is' was imparted in the 5-ish years of post-unification. "Lions are... basically large cats, right?" He pulls out a sandwich he was saving for later. "Here, kitty kitty!" And then he throws the wrapped sandwich like a grenade. "Fetch!" Lions are basically cats, and cats are basically dogs, right? > "Shit...! Blood Fiend! Blood Fiend coming!! A big one!" Enhanced hearing is great! But it doesn't really provide context, especially when you're multitasking between paying attention to what's going on backstage (a lion is eating you) and what's going on literally across a busy circus tent (Rita is running away to join the circus?). "Do we need to start evac?" Kale calls into his radio. When he doesn't get a yes or no response right away, he errs on the side of caution. "Right-" He clears his throat, and casts a quick spell - taking the form of a ping-pong ball sized sphere of wind, which he swallows. "Testing- testing. Okay." His voice gets a lot louder. "Attention all personnel and guests. This is an emergency alert. For your safety the circus is now closed and all personnel and guests need to proceed to the rear exit in an orderly fashion. Do not use the front entrance. If you have any issues making your way to the exit, stay where you are with one hand raised and a Trideag fixer will assist you momentarily." He takes off and starts traversing the tent, making sure people actually do get moving and seeing who needs help to get out. Once they're clear of the tent, he'll see to next steps to getting them further away.
Veronica	"You are a veritable Atlas, carrying a town right on your back!"     Veronica can't help but preen a little, idly adjusting her hair with her normal hand. "I mean, you're not wrong, but... who told you about me? Was it, y'know, *her*?" Once again putting a little more out there than is really wise. When Oswald rambles about sacrifices and volcanoes, Veronica's face contorts in uncomfortable confusion. "No, I'm- I'm not a *sacrifice*. I wanted this, and I'll damn well make it through with what she gave me."     We're a Circus of Distortions--only they are ready to join and truly live as freely as clowns ought!     <J-IC-Scene> Rita Ma says, uneasily, "... At the least, Ms. Mermaid remembers the way she used to be, and is happy the way she is."     "Oh, so- it's not just one of you doing it to the rest. Then..." She looks to the elephant with trepidation, then a glance in Rita's direction. As if to say, 'who could want to look like *that*?'     Philip announces the psychic presence of an incoming blood fiend, and Veronica volunteers to step outside and see what's going on with that. "We're not done here, mister Oswald," she says as she makes for the front entrance again.     The moment she's clear of the tent flaps, dozens of arms envelop her and are surrounded in turn by the brick-and-concrete body of Baker and Seventh, Veronica's titanic EGO. Its footsteps are audible from well on the other end of the tent as she takes up a position in front of the circus and readies her own 'hammer' - a metal lamp-post with a chunk of street at the bottom (now repurposed as the hammer's head).     She does not immediately engage in hostilities with the blood fiend, instead broadcasting loud and clear over the EGO's external soundsystem, "Hey, what's up? We're workin' here, can't have any interruptions." She'd like to take a more aggressively warding position, but she's still feeling out exactly how much of a threat this blood fiend might be.     If she is attacked, however, she already has her first move planned and primed - a long, directed blast of sound waves tuned to stun without deafening, and to disrupt the motion of uncontained fluids. She doesn't have much experience with blood fiends beyond hearing stories, but if there's any truth to those tales she can expect some variety of blood-based attack.
Aika Rosewater	The lion... has its sights on Kale.     Aika blinks, unable to determine what in the blazes that thing is. A monster? A weird messed up lion? A guy in a costume? A monster in a costume? A lion-costume hybrid? And it's... god it's -patronizing- her??? She's a much better hunter than--     Calm down, Aika, it's probably not all that smart.     She decides to let Kale handle it, because people are now screaming about a 'Blood Fiend' on the way. A strong one, too. That means the entire tent's population is at risk if they can't slow it down, or very quickly move everyone.     She can't move that many people that fast. Kale is on that too.     But slowing down a vampire? That's easy.     Aika dashes out of the tent, abandoning her cat-self in favor of her human guise. Her tattoos flare to life, silver-blue light that flows into her hands and forms a large axe of blue fire. A blue fire that's particularly unfriendly to the undead (and other less relevant things), and should be a deterrent all its own.     If not, Veronica's got the size angle down.     "What a mess. Is everything that goes on in this City always this chaotic or is this just a really bad day all-around?"     Well, here's hoping the Blood Fiend isn't hostile after all, but if it is, surely between her and Veronica they can buy the tent crew at least minutes.
Rita Ma	"Ms. Mermaid, something really bad has happened to you. I'm sorry. I don't know how to fix it, but maybe if you leave here, we can..."      But then he pauses, studying Rita's expression, staring at her like he's suddenly uncertain      Rita, joyously spun around and then pryingly stared into, musters a small smile for Oswald. Her pupils are like pinpricks. A small bead of sweat rolls down her cheek, to her jaw.      She wants to eat. She wants to throw up.      "Oh. You mean Carmen. I'm not a 'distortion', but I heard her once too. Um, Ms. Mermaid was..." A difficult swallow. "She was just telling me she likes being here. What exactly happens, to make people realize they want to join the Circus? I'd like to--"      Blood. Rita's head whips around a second before Philip bursts into the tent. Her salivary glands ache.      "Rita, if any can be saved, can you take them with you?"      Too many unknowns. Her eyes try to focus on Salvador, and don't quite succeed. *Can* they be saved? Would they ever want to be? Shouldn't I try to just kill Mr. Oswald now? What if there's a secret to turning them back? 5R Should I keep playing along...? I wish Ms. Rook were here. I wish I could eat.      Queasily, after a second too long, she nods. Kale and Veronica are already acting decisively. "I'm sorry, Mr. Oswald! We can't just let your friends die!" she yells, hoping to at least keep a scrap of good-will with him while there's a chance she could get more information, and--      In a second, Rita's jacket and half her face-and-arm unravel as ribbon-tentacles, peeling off of a white flesh-dress and a layer of subtly paler skin beneath. They reach out, seize Mr. Knives and Ms. Mermaid and the Elephant, go taut, and *yank* the 'attractions' out as she slices a hole in the tent's canvas directly opposite the bloodfiend.      Rita starts dashing to drag them behind to a safe distance, maybe down an alley, and spares a tentacle or two for anyone else who doesn't seem to be able to make it on their own.
Sarracenia	'Where are the chains, Miss Hammer?'      Sarra blinks at the question, then looks toward the battlemaid in the stands and starts to walk out. She looks back to the clown as he objects emphatically. She still hmphs skeptically at his assertions. "Did they understand before or after you changed them?" she asks.      'Who's Miss Sun? ... I think I'd like to join the circus, Mr. Oswald. How would we do that? Is it you who does the operations, or someone else?'      Sarra's eyes go wide. "Y-you want to join the circus, Miss Rita?!" she exclaims. Even though it is probably some sort of ploy, Sarra is still surprised.      'You're already ready, Miss Rita, you're already quite like us--but we're a Circus of Distortions--only they are ready to join and truly live as freely as clowns ought!'      Then, the clown says something that catches Sarra's attention. "...the missing people...you turned them into Distortions?! Is that what these creatures are?! And is watching the show how you manipulate them into staying?! There is no way people would choose to be monstrosities such as these! Sewn together into a mockery of a creature?! That does not seem like you to me!"      'You mean Carmen. I'm not a 'distortion', but I heard her once too. Um, Ms. Mermaid was...She was just telling me she likes being here. What exactly happens, to make people realize they want to join the Circus? I'd like to--'      Sarra is somewhat torn. She still is disgusted and wants to burn this tent to the ground. On the other hand...or tentacle...Rita is doing her best to keep things civil. Sarra finally loses her anger as she watches and listens to Rita. Only to yelp in surprise as Rita suddenly grabs the creatures and makes a break for it. "W-wait! Rita! What about the ball man?!" she exclaims, then looks toward him. With a huff, Sarra puts her hammer away and moves to pick him up. She's pretty strong, so it shouldn't be too hard. She then follows after Rita. "If the Bloodfiend gets into the tent...will it become a Distortion?!"
Angela	The lion doesn't leap for the sandwich but it does let go as its eyes track it--by the time it realizes it's just a sandwich, Kale has pulled free. rThere are a small number of 'guests' besides the battlemaids that got pulled in. Not many, but enough that Kale can start evacuating them. Some of them seem strangely ... hesitant to do so, but they all obey the instructions of a confident enough sounding person telling them to go. Maybe Oswald doesn't need any sort of magic or power to transfix people when reality's bad enough. Oswald, distracted, doesn't get a chance to remark on Veronica's determination before she moves on out--he is surrounded by Fixers, some of whom who are probably only not stabbing him right now because they're trying to figure out how to properly support the Elites in a chaotic situation. Luckily, the Circus also seems unsure if they should go on the attack or if they should keep trying to welcome the others. Rita's bluff about joining has struck Oswald's philisophical weakpoint--he is more insightful than he acts but he WANTS to believe and that's slowing his senses. ''I'm not a 'distortion'.'' "But you're still one of us..!" Oswald is quite accomodating apparently. "Of course, of course, not everybody understands at first, not too many people know what a circus even IS--but is it hard to believe that there are those who would rather be free as fellow freaks rather than be ground up in the City's gears? I ''talk'' to them, Rita, I talk and pray they too can hear Ms. Sun--" Mr. Knives and Ms. Mermaid are easy to seize, Mr. Elephant is, well, ELEPHANT sized and doesn't seem inclined to help with being moved--fortunately, Rita is a strong lady, but there's still tonnage to worry about here. "My friends...!" Oswald screams, running after Rita. Salvador interposes himself and his blade catches flame as he slices across Oswald's chest, forcing him back even as the blade burns across his body. He flicks a knife into his hand and stabs Salvador in the thigh to force him back before renewing his chase. Salvador follows after him, as does the rest of the Fixers--Rita created a way out that isn't going to be blocked by a Blood Fiend. They're going to take it. Phillip slips but Rita can snag him up into a tentacle and he at least has the decency to cover his mouth as he starts screaming.
Angela	"Where are you taking them??" Oswald shouts. He doesn't seem concerned about forcing the guests to stay at least so much as catching his fellow Circus buddies so they'll be easy enough to evacuate. Probably best to not lead them out the front flap though. The Bloodfiend approaching is a woman, though her face has is so covered by blood so thick it has congealed into a hard mass that it's like a mask as well as armor. She's wearing a black dress suit and tie along with slacks and shoes. A little swirl of blue patterning across her arm and chest evokes a design like a wind gust. ''Hey, what's up? We're workin' here, can't have any interruptions.'' The Bloodfiend isn't someone that Veronica recognizes, and surely this Bloodfiend isn't the Blood-Red Night. She was a confirmed kill years ago, the bounty collected. But there's still an unbelievable pressure with her presence. Blood swirls around her like the wind. The hunger in the blood screams desperately and fervently as it whips around her. "Argalia said not to hurt the people from Trídéag." The Bloodfiend says. "...But you're just another human from The City." The venom she uses when she says the word 'human' is so potent and hateful that it pretty much answers whether or not this can be handled by talking. She brings her hand up, points it at Veronica, and fires a burst of blood out from her hand like it was a kamehameha wave. And despite being composed of 'blood' it hits like one too. Veronica's sound wave jerks her back, hitting her palpably, but only stalls her for a moment--and as she turns her head, she sees Oswald running and swings her other hand at him, a thinner strand of blood wrapping around his leg and snapping him inelegantly towards her direction. "My friends...!" Oswald says. "I can't leave them behind!" "If they are really your friends, they'll find their way back to you." The Bloodfiend says, starting to melt into a blood puddle in the floor with her prize. She seems to be giving up on the ones Rita's rescuing(?).
Veronica	Veronica takes a deep breath as the Bloodfiend before her comes to a stop and speaks at last. Just a personal blood aura isn't aggression, sort of? It *could* be purely defensive, so Veronica holds her attack.     "...But you're just another human from The City."     "I am three thousand strong," Veronica retorts, and is halfway to continuing her statement of defiance when the Bloodfiend attacks.     In the next seconds she regrets attempting to parley - then in the moments after, she thanks herself for doing so. With a wave of a hand the fiend propels a torrent of blood at Baker and Seventh, and even disrupted in its flow by the sonic blast that only just makes it out of the speakers in time it hits like an appropriately-scaled hammer. When the foamy spray of blood disperses Baker and Seventh is staggering back, its front face crumbled and worn. The shell within is intact, if drenched in red - but since the whole is a product of psychic force, damage to the body is felt distantly by its 'pilot'.     "Son of a..." Veronica exclaims, trailing off in surprise at the sheer power displayed by the attack. Another direct hit might really break something, so she focuses her energy on regathering Baker and Seventh's body, telekinetically fusing powdered concrete and shattered glass into larger wholes and straightening twisted girders.     It's enough of a delay that the masked fiend's blood tendril snaps around Oswald and pulls him into the pool of blood. By the time Veronica's ready to get back in the fight, the Distorted jester is too close to the fiend. Even if he was hoodwinking people into a circus of Distortions, he doesn't deserve to be collateral damage. Seconds later and he's gone, before Veronica's even caught her breath enough to report the situation over radio.     "She just wanted Oswald," Veronica wonders aloud when she's no longer winded. "I wonder why..."
Rita Ma	While Kale handles the civilian guests, Rita ends up in a nearby dark alleyway with Sarracenia, the Fixers, Mr. Ball, Ms. Mermaid, and Mr. Elephant.      It's a rather crowded alleyway.      "Please stay calm. I want you to be okay," Rita 'says' to the attractions. "I'm trying to keep you safe from the Bloodfiend out there, alright?" She can't actually compel anything from them, but she's telling the truth, which might help.      To the Fixers, she's a mass of pale bluish squirmy ribbons sprawling across half the alley and up two stories of the side of a building, at the center of which is a panting clammy-skinned girl.      "Please don't scream," she says to Philip earnestly, while squirmily untangling him from the tentacle wrapped around him.      "Oh, Mr. Salvador, you're bleeding," she adds casually, swallowing drool and touching Salvador's stabbed thigh with a white-glowing tendril to regenerate the flesh. After a moment's thought- thinking is difficult, under the circumstances- she realizes she could try that with the 'attractions', too.      A tentacle each goes to Ms. Mermaid, Mr. Elephant, and Mr. Knife, suffusing them with her healing energy too. She probably can't reverse their conditions, but if she can at least make their transformations a little smoother, a little less chopped-up and grotesque, that'd be nice.      "Good job, Ms. Sarracenia," she says lazily-droolingly, while doing her work. "I'm not really sure what the Bloodfiend wants. Maybe? I'm... mmh..."      - - - -      But the noises of battle reach her after a moment, jolting her into wakefulness. Rita re-ravels herself with a gross shh-slrkkk wet friction noise and peeks around the alley's corner past the tent, just in time to see the Fiend trying to take off with Oswald.      She raises her hand, jolted into action- "Wait--!!"- and the blood puddle they're trying to submerge into quivers, spiking towards Rita as if halfway magnetized towards her hand. "STOP!" she mentally 'yells' at the Bloodfiend. She'd eaten some of Nosferatu, back then- does that give her any purchase? Probably not enough. "Let go of him!!" she tries to insist, but she might not have enough purchase to get Oswald back either, so she at least throws her psychic weight behind demanding-- "Why are you doing this?!"
Sarracenia	Sarra actually feels bad when Oswald reacts the way he does. Almost enough to turn back. "Please forgive us, Oswald! But, we cannot just let people disappear into this place! People out here miss them! And the more people that disappear the more this place is endangered! If you really want to help people then you have to make this place somewhere people do not just disappear into! I would be quite happy to visit your circus if you can do that! Until then, we will be working on returning them to their proper forms!" she calls through the giant hole in the tent before following after the others.      Rita starts healing things, and Sarra realizes...she can help with that! "Oh! Here, try these as well, Miss...Rita?" Rita seems a bit off. "Are you alright?"      The bloodfiend appears and speaks, and then...she's taking Oswald! "Hey! Let him go!" she exclaims without thinking and almost in time with Rita. "We are lead on this operation! If anyone is taking him prisoner it is us!" Sarra shouts. She was honestly thinking he would not be able to leave the Circus. It seemed like the Library to her. "As a Grade 6 Fixer of Trideag, I demand you turn him over to us!"      She leaves Mr. Knives with Rita and rushes forward, firing a few Silver fletchettes at that blood tether and trying to get to Oswald before he is taken. But, she's not super speedy. She might not be able to reach Oswald in time. Realizing that, Sarra pulls out a Bullet Bill power-up and in an explosion rockets forward as a Bullet Bill, only for it to explode a moment later and send her spiraling through the air. She tries to get a grip on Oswald before the Bloodfiend disappears...
Angela	''I am three thousand strong.'' "A decent meal." The Bloodfiend says. The silver fletchettes bounce off the blood like it's made out of sterner stuff than blood really ought to be, but the Bullet Bill is concerning enough, stalling the Bloodfiend long enough as she summons a blood wall to protect herself from the inevitable explosion, that Rita can call upon a power once consumed--one related to the Bloodfiend in the midst of an escape. ''Please forgive us, Oswald'' Oswald wasn't expecting the Bloodfiend either, and is trying to wiggle free, but the Bloodfiend has him firmly gripped. ''Please don't scream.'' Philip nods slowly, gradually calming down. Salvador grimaces apologetically, "Thanks--to think you could move that elephant... hahh... But it seems are methods in operating here are still... not meshing." As the pain fades he adds, "Thank you. You are kind to an old man." Rita reaches out with her power and the blood puddle shudders. The Bloodfiend jerks unsteadily before spinning her head towards Rita. Even through the blood-mask, the shock is visible in the eyes. She freezes at the command, visibly straining at it. The confusion hits fast, and fades just as quickly. "The blood of an Elder..." The Bloodfiend murmurs. "You seek to command me..." The shock is replaced by anger. "You wish to stop me, just like the Elders wished to?!" There is a sudden push back against the control, gritting her fangs as she rips her mind away from Rita's influence--like she has done similarly before. "Useless Elders...who want us licking the tablescraps off the Floor of the City, while their dregs hunt us like dogs...!" She breathes heavily from the effort but gives an answer to the question anyway, despite her resistance. "We want... A City where we can live as our true selves... Without boots on our necks... You should want the same... We didn't ask for this Thirst, this NEED, but even though we helped build this City, though we fought for humans!!! Our desires, our needs--they're unmet! We're STARVING!" She gloops down into the blood a moment after, and the overpowering presence--and Oswald--fade along with her.