⇨ ATLANTIS

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: The morning of D44 and onward.
Where: The ocean realm of Atlantis.
What: The carnival abruptly arrives at an underwater realm, and everyone is transfigured into merpeople just as suddenly.
Warnings: Body horror, I guess.

THE CITY OF ATLANTIS↴ The visit starts without much warning, but at least there is a full week of free time before performances start. In the meantime, your characters will be given ample opportunity to adjust their acts for an underwater audience, get used to their new fishy appendages, or just spend the whole time enjoying the sights and sounds of Atlantis city. King Triton will not be immediately seen, but it's possible to gain an audience with him if you get in contact with the ambassadors of the kingdom. Just, make sure that you're not wasting his time. He's a lot less patient with nonsense than the Ringmaster is. ► FISH FRIDAY: You fell asleep, whether or not that's something you usually do, and the next morning you wake up as one of the merfolk. A few last additions may grow in after you're awake, but for the most part everyone will have a method of swimming and a method of breathing underwater transfigured into them upon waking. Don't worry about your belongings - everything is waterproofed, and technology will work the same underwater as it does above it. That doesn't mean there won't be plenty to get used to, though. ► GREAT BLUE YONDER: The ocean realm where Atlantis resides is enormous, and the depths seem to be unending. Despite the fact that there doesn't seem to be any surface, sun glimmers all the way down to the ocean floor. Atlanteans use creatures like whales and dolphins as rides and beasts of burden, and they can be seen swimming in and out of the city as constantly as roadways filed with cars in earth civilization. Beyond that, there's everything you would expect to see on the ocean floor here - huge reefs of coral, both familiar and exotic, enormous ocean plants, deep ocean trenches, and all kinds of weird critters living in them. There are a mix of mythical and standard ocean creatures, and are likely a combined populations of many oceans worth of beings. ► THE ATLANTEAN MARKET: The Atlantean market (aka the "merket") is a long trench between rows of buildings in the middle of the city, lit with bio-luminescent plants and rocks, and filled with all kinds of weird mer stuff that you can buy. There are a great many individual booths, mostly with hand crafted wares and objects that have been salvaged from various sunken ships. The Ringmaster has already traded a large number of goods to the merfolk here, and has taken the profit to award each worker with 100 Atlantean Gold to spend as they please. One gold is worth roughly five USA dollars, for a comparison of how much that is. There is a top level set up below in which characters can make their purchases, and you can also handwave the purchase of random common, necessary items (food, drink, etc) at your convenience. ► TREASURE HUNTING: Right now, the only major salvage areas are a few left over sunken ships that have mostly been picked over by the merfolk. However, you are welcome to head over to them and explore, and see if fortune smiles on you when it comes to finding anything that hasn't been taken yet. The current options are three similar looking brigantine that all probably came from the same world. Merfolk do not seem to consider them to be anything extraordinary, though magical items and gold have allegedly been found within them. Whether or not anything is left, is the real question. ► LIMELIGHTING: Merfolk are curious and generally socially forward, as a species. This mean that they find the carnival's workers to be a fascinating novelty, and also are unafraid to make that fascination obvious. Given the opportunity, merfolk will demand your character's attention for bombardments of questions and for general socializing, especially if they are particularly unusual for some reason. Don't be surprised if you get invited to stay at total stranger's houses, or dragged off to a merfolk bar to surprise party with their friends. They'll let you say no, reluctantly, but they will also be pleased as punch to get up in your gill. It's also possible to make some money, this way, if you're willing to do street performances, or are willing to sell your "skills" in a more private environment. Yes, there are opportunities to become a fish hooker if you are so inclined. Merfolk may also offer money to take you as arm candy to various public events, escort style. They don't consider this to be a particularly socially inappropriate thing to do, either. You can ask general questions about this setting over on the event post. There are top levels below for buying Atlantean merch, and also for making dolla dolla, if your character is inclined to try.

Comments

IT'S MERKET TIME

[otoko]

[You know Miko, for a slug, you are moving far too fast here. (Conversely, someone is moving a touch too slow despite being an Enormous Shrimp Thing. But any how.) Gongenzaka for his part has just gotten over how his latest purchase has gone. A large and detailed scroll of meditation...which apparently involves magic.

Bugger.

He very nearly drops it when Miko darts past.] A-AUHH!

P-Please be careful with where you are going!!

[pullingamiko]

[Excuse you don't tell her how fast to move.

She spins around to face him waving him off.] Aah, you're fine, still got your scroll thing and everything.

[See, she's paying attention!]

[otoko]

I, the man Gongenzaka, am worried about far more than just this scroll... [Woahhhhh now there's some antiquated speech for you. As it is, this guy looks ready to break into a proper elderly lecture.

He's just missing the look of the elderly.] It is a matter of safety! Both myself, and yourself, and many others could be injured by running around like this!

[He says, as if anyone except him and maybe one or two passersby can walk.]

[pullingamiko]

[Jeeeez, what is this guy, a hundred years old. Miko's grin drops into a pout.]

Relax, I'm not gonna crash into anyone! Like I said, I'm watching where I'm going and everything.

[Miko you've also only had a tail for a couple days.]

[otoko]

[no hes 14 miko-]

If you say so... [He sounds disbelieving-but that's probably just a testament to his paranoia, if anything.] Just why are you so...

[He tries to find the word in his mind, waving a hand a bit.] ...'Zippy'? [All that back and forth back and forth, it reminds him of someone from his own world honestly (that someone was also a little shit, honestly)]

[pullingamiko]

Uh, 'cuz this is exciting? Not everyone can just drift around like a jellyfish, gramps.

[otoko]

G-G-

GRAMPS?! [He protests loudly, nearly dropping the scroll himself.] I-I, the man Gongenzaka, am not old..!!

[pullingamiko]

Really. 'Cuz the way you act, I'd think you were about ready to keel over.

stop making me confused about ages japan, it took me so long to realize the main cast wasn't 12

[betheman]

I, the man Gongenzaka, will have you know that I am yet 14 years old, in middle school..!!

[Well. Middle school for Japan at least. It'd be freshman year if he were American.]

[pullingamiko]

[...Are you kidding her right now.]

Seriously? No way, that'd mean that--

[...Aaahahaha holy shit.]

--oh my god. I'm older than you.

[otoko]

Mmmh? [Given how many he knows that are older-yet-smaller than him, he looks rather un-alarmed.] Is that so then? I assume not by too much, but it would make sense...

[Logically speaking it could have gone either way, in his opinion.]

[pullingamiko]

By, like, two years. [Which is pretty significant, in her opinion.] So, if you're fourteen, why do you look forty and act ninety?

[otoko]

Hmm!! That much!? [Evidently he agrees-

At least before crunching up in almost childish anger.] N- DON'T CALL ME OLD..!!

[pullingamiko]

[Holy shit is this guy for real]

Wow, maybe you really are fourteen. Or twelve.

[At what point does this constitute bullying?? Miko sure doesn't know.]

Anyway, in that case, sure, you're not old after all! But seriously dude, if you don't want people saying you are, maybe stop acting like it, huh?

[otoko]

HMMN!?

[THIS IS PROBABLY BULLYING, AND THAT'S JUST UNACCEPTABLE, MIKO!]

I, the man Gongenzaka am not acting beyond any age! I am acting only as I was taught by my family and their traditions!

[Totally Not Old. Totally.]

[pullingamiko]

Well, looks like your family taught you to act super old. 'Sides, who cares about all that tradition stuff?

[betheman]

[WELL NOW YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR-]

Tradition is cared for by those who realize its importance..! [he insists, briefly shocked to silence before he can even piece the statement together.] Tradition is what keeps history alive, it is what allows the ancestors of one's family to be remembered, and for the future to carry onward without forgetting where they came from..! To carry tradition is to carry the spirit of a household!

Everyone should care about tradition!

[pullingamiko]

[Okay, she's just going to. Wait this out. Looking profoundly unimpressed all the while, of course.]

Yyyyeah, you lost me at... the thing about importance? [Shrug.] Sorry to offend your delicate sensibilities, but here's the thing: I super don't care how a bunch of old dead guys thought stuff should work.

[otoko]

NH- [It really is too easy to get this guy riled and flustered, isn't it?]

THEN WHY WOULD YOU ASK IN THE FIRST PLACE..!?

[Because Hypotheticals, Gon.

Hypotheticals that you foolishly took seriously.]

[pullingamiko]

I didn't think you'd answer! "Who cares" basically just means "I don't care", that's, like, the most basic sarcasm there is. Have you just not talked to another teenager before now or what?

...You don't have to answer that, either, by the way.

[betheman]

[What else is he going to answer with then!? Other than seething scowls, that is.] I, the man Gongenzaka, can at the very least say that the ones I have company with would not insult one another's way of life.

[pullingamiko]

Right. But they would totally tell someone that 'everyone' should care about the same boring crap they do, huh?

[She's totally not mad about that though (okay she might be a little)]

[otoko]

AUH-

[That.

That is a very good point. Gongenzaka shows the signs of shame very obviously-as easily as a scolded puppy, the teen's ears folding back as he shrinks in upon himself as best as someone that's 9 foot can.]

...Forgive me, [he manages to mutter honestly.] ...In my anger, I, the man Gongenzaka, have acted with unforgivable hypocrisy..!!

[dude it's fine-]

[pullingamiko]

[Holy crap is there anything this guy does that isn't extra as hell.

Not that Miko has room to talk but anyway]

Uh-- "unforgivable" might be a stretch, but, yeah, sure. Just... y'know, don't do that? It's not actually a big deal.

[betheman]

[The answer is No.

There is nothing that isn't EXTRA AS HELL, for this is GONGENZAKA-!

At least he doesn't seem to have any long-winded apologetic lines to say however. Gongenzaka merely nods, his head still shamefully bowed as he accepts Miko's words.] Understood.

[...Might be taking the listening to your elders thing a bit too seriously now that he's hecked up, huh.]