⇨ 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

[wild_magic]

Susan left shortly after their argument to go explore. Sure it took him a bit to get the hang of swimming, and even once he did figure out he wasn't very good at it (his tail didn't seem very useful for moving him around, and the fins that grew in with it weren't very helpful either, but it was at least better than nothing), but he still had fun exploring and taking in the sights.

But he couldn't stay out all day, and he hoped that now it was long enough that Lauren wasn't mad any more. Maybe he had also gotten the hang of this mermaid thing and now he wouldn't even be grumpy! Obviously he knew that wasn't very likely, but anything was possible.

And so he finally came home late that evening, swimming his way into the trailer with Fluff clinging to his hair with her tail.

[mylastchance]

He'd left, moped, gotten hassled, and then come back here to fall asleep. It was better than being awake, even if it was boring and useless. So he's actually in bed asleep by the time Susan has come back.

[wild_magic]

It's a good thing that Susan had expected Lauren to maybe still be upset, then, since otherwise he probably would have very loudly come charging into the trailer. As it is he's a bit quiet until he spots Lauren in bed, and he makes his way over there.

"Lauren?" Is he okay?

[mylastchance]

He is okay, physically at least, he's just sleeping. Dreams are easier to deal with right now than all his stupid emotions.

[wild_magic]

Well it's not like Susan can tell more than just looking at him. Maybe he's feeling sick or something! It doesn't matter though, Susan gently shakes him awake. He wants to at least make sure he's okay.

"Lauren... Lauren, wake up."

[mylastchance]

He wakes with a start, but when he sees Susan he sits up in an instant. How long was he asleep for? Had something happened?

"Susan.... What is it?"

[wild_magic]

Susan just looks a little concerned, mostly, but he shakes his head a little.

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay? I was out a really long time but when I got home you were still here and sleeping and I was worried maybe you're sick or something..."

[mylastchance]

He shakes his head, before looking around and trying to gauge what time it is.

"No. I'm not sick... I went out before, but I couldn't find anything to do so I just... Came back."

[wild_magic]

"But there's lots to do. There's a cool marketplace, even, and I bought a cool ring there. And we saw so many fish... It was awesome."

[mylastchance]

Lauren tries to smile, but his heart just isn't in it. The truth is the fact that Susan can so enjoy himself hear makes him feel very much like a failure. He didn't understand what was wrong with him. Why was this so easy for Susan and so hard for him? He just wants to go back to sleep.

"I'm glad you had fun."

[wild_magic]

"You should come with me tomorrow! We can explore or go shopping or something. Fluff's gonna stay here though, she can't swim very well." He knows Lauren's usually less excited about going out places than he is, but they don't even have to go in to the city so he doesn't think it will be a problem this time. Hopefully.

[mylastchance]

He hesitates, looking down at the creases in the blankets.

"Everyone kept looking at me when I was out there earlier."

It was annoying, and embarrassing. He just doesn't want to deal with it.

[wild_magic]

"Then we can just swim around! We don't have to go to the city, I know you don't like lots of people... I wanna show you how cool everything is though."

[mylastchance]

He really doesn't want to go, but he doesn't want to upset Susan either.

"....Okay. I guess that would be okay."

A DAY OR TWO LATER

[mylastchance]

It's later, after their argument has already been forgotten, that Lauren is finally ready to apologize for it. He's been thinking a lot, and talking to some people, and trying to understand himself better. It was hard, but doable. At least he thought he was doing it.

"Susan?" he asks hesitantly as he returns the trailer and finds his brother inside.

[wild_magic]

Susan of course wasn't doing much, just kind of hanging around and talking to Fluff about his day or putting various treasures (aka shells) he'd found away, and so he grins at Lauren when he comes in.

"Hi!"

[mylastchance]

He comes over to the table, looking at the shells and watching fluff flit about in her new tinier form. He knows what he wants to say, but he can't help, but feel a bit nervous about it. It's Susan though, Susan never cared when Lauren sounded like an idiot, so he better just get on with it.

"Um. Sorry for shouting at you, the other day."

[wild_magic]

He's gone back to sorting his new collection by the time Lauren says that, and it takes him a second to realize what his brother means. Once he does though he smiles and shakes his head.

"No, it's okay... You were just mad at stuff."

[mylastchance]

How is he sorting these shells anyway? They are literally just shells.

"I was sort of mad at something specific actually."

He picks up one of the shells, looking it over before placing it back in it's spot. He sits down at the table opposite Susan, as Fluff moves to move the shell he so carelessly touched back into place.

[wild_magic]

"You were mad at the Carnival." He thinks, at least. That's what he seemed to have the most problem with when he was yelling. He puts down the shells he was holding (in completely different spots from where they were before of course), watching Fluff as she investigates them.

[mylastchance]

He nods, that was definitely what started the argument. It wasn't what really set him off though.

"I don't like talking about. What happened in Phlan."

[wild_magic]

"You don't like talking about anything." He knows what Lauren means, though. The whole dragon thing was really bad, and they couldn't do anything to stop it. He felt bad about it too, but it wasn't surprising that Lauren would be more upset about it, that's just how his brother was.

[mylastchance]

Okay, that was true, but this was hardly the time and please to discuss his shyness. He gives Susan a look, before shaking his head away from Captain Obvious over there.

"It just, it reminded me a lot of what happened before."

[wild_magic]

He frowns. 'Before' could mean a lot of things, and although he has a guess of what it could be, he isn't sure.

"What do you mean?"

[mylastchance]

He hesitates again, looking at the shells, even fluff is staring at him. It's more than a bit offputting.

"When Nana and Father died."