⇨ THE CELEBRATION

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone, especially YOU.
When: Day 60 - Day 65
Where: The Celebration
What: The carnival workers are invited to spend the week within the realm of the Celebration, the grounds of a party that has been going on for centuries. Accommodations are luxurious, but those with keen instincts might notice something off about this whole arrangement... (Questions can go to the original setting post!)
Warnings: Booze, drugs, sex, and everything in between.

THE CELEBRATION↴ If you observe that the layout of the Celebration grounds seem inconsistent, then you would be correct. In reality, what lies at the end of each corridor depends largely on what the guests of the Celebration want at the time - if a few people find themselves craving a drink, a bar may appear. If a group finds themselves wanting to dance, a club will open up. This goes on at all hours of the night, and given how many dedicated partiers fill the building, the services are well used. It isn't instantaneous, and the Host has to consciously decide to provide that service, but the changes are fast none-the-less. ► ROOMS: Each trailer pair will be assigned a room to themselves - whether or not it has two double beds or a single king sized bed seems essentially random. Hopefully you aren't too sensitive about keeping that space to yourself. The curtains at the far side of the room don't actually lead outside, but instead to a walk-in closet filled with the Host's best guesses at the type of clothing you might like. They may not hit the nail on the head, but at the very least all the clothing will be in your size. The styles could be just about anything, from any universe, but they do tend to average out to clothing that is Earth-ish. Either that, or clothing that looks like they are meant for elves from a high fantasy novel to wear. ► SHOPPING: If none of your pre-picked outfits tickle your fancy, plenty of boutiques and clothing shops can also be found around the grounds - whatever you're thinking of, you'll probably be able to find a shop appropriate for it eventually. Though, maybe it doesn't really count as shopping if you don't have to pay for any of the things you take back to your room with you? Unfortunately, from the sounds of it, you won't be allowed to drag all of your haul back to the carnival with you, so you better enjoy it while you can. ► DINING: There is no daily schedule to follow, after you arrive. You are free to attend the dining room whenever you wish, and will be seated at large round tables with whoever else may be around at the time, and can either order from the menu or most dishes you may think of off the top of your head. If you don't like the fine dining experience, there are also a selection of smaller cafes and eateries that open and close at varying times of day - and, of course, you can always call for room service. ► ENTERTAINMENT: There is plenty of live music around the grounds (not that you can ever seem to remember who the performers were afterwards) whether it comes to harp music while you eat or a full set of DJs in the club you found. If you are inclined to look for them, you may also find some cozy lounges with big screen TVs, and access to a multi-universal quantity of films. What's there or isn't there is unpredictable, but if you come from a standard variety of Earth you probably recognize some of them. ► SUBSTANCES: You don't have to be coy about it - just ask one of your servers, and you'll be able to get whatever kind of vices you might be craving. Drugs, alcohol, ice cream... it's all good. If this sounds like a nightmare for potential addicts, you would be correct. It's not uncommon to see people clearly over-indulging in certain locations, though guests are usually escorted back to their rooms if they take ill - only to see them back at it again the next day. ► SPA DAY: If you'd like to take a swim, pools of various aesthetics are easy to find. So are hot tubs, and saunas, and Host servants who are willing to give you a massage or manicure. If the party crowd isn't your scene, there are plenty of more low-key opportunities to indulge. ► GREENSPACE: There is one park area on the grounds, which appears to be constructed on the rooftops of other parts of the complex. While there are trees and greenery, there is no real sky that you can see - only the illusion of one. It may start to occur to you over time that no window or rooftop actually leads to any kind of outdoors. The Celebration really is there only thing here. These are really just examples, and you can get creative with what kind of services you find offered while here, when it comes to generally mundane comforts. It really feels like the Host wants to win you over, as if you staying just a little longer has some sort of intrinsic appeal.

Comments

Ginko | OTA

[dontpokethat]

Day 60-61; cafe

This place may not be exactly Ginko’s thing, but he can see how the Ringmaster would consider it a good spot for the carnival to take a break. It seems nice, anyway; he’s just glad that there are lower-key places like this available. ...And, even after over a year with the carnival, he’s never one to stop getting excited about free food.

Ginko glances up with a smile when he sees someone else come by. “Hey, you find this place, too?”

Day 62-63; greenspace

Alright, first couple days were… you know, nice. Ginko would personally be alright with leaving before too much longer, though; this place’s decadence makes him a little uneasy, and honestly, he kind of misses being outside.

Unfortunately, it looks like this is about the closest he’s going to get while they’re here. He figures it’s better than nothing, though; so, as time goes by, he finds himself coming up here more and more. Rather than sitting on any available benches or anything like a normal person, he can pretty frequently be found just lying in the grass - or making an effort to pull himself into the branches of a tree. This was a lot easier when he had feet and not hooves.

Day 64-65; movie theater

Okay, yeah, he’s officially decided he doesn’t like it here and is ready to Leave. Preferably soon. But it’s… kind of seeming like he’s in a minority there, and if his coworkers are so into this place… well, he knows better than to think there’s a chance of the Ringmaster deciding it’s time to go within the next day.

Accepting it doesn’t mean he has to like it, though. Since leaving isn’t an option, he settles for the time being for shoving himself into a chair in one of the lounges with a frown and a glass of something alcoholic - probably not the first of the day, honestly. Drinking is far from his go-to method of dealing with stress, but… right now it’s sounding like a pretty good idea. Especially combined with documentaries about deep-sea animals, apparently.

Closed to Tanyuu

Ginko guesses he should be glad that Tanyuu seems to be responding to all this better than he is. And in some ways, he is; the last thing he wants is for her to be stuck being as uncomfortable as he is.

But… frankly, he’s also a little worried, and he can’t be sure if that’s an overreaction on his part or not. Either way, he doesn’t super enjoy feeling like she might not understand his discomfort at all.

Maybe there’s nothing for it but to go ahead and ask. He glances over at her from where he’s lying back on his bed. “...I wonder how long the Ringmaster is planning on staying here?”

((OOC: tl;dr timeline, Ginko will be in a decent mood for the first couple days and then get increasingly on-edge and uncomfortable. Message me here or on plurk at omixgirl10 if you want to do something outside of these prompts!))

day 63, greenspace!

[kingsroads]

Mari had wanted the Nightrunners to take notes, Strange was going to take notes. Unfortunately, it was hard to hear himself think in the din of the Celebration. The greenspace at least was somewhat quiet. As Ginko lay in the grass, Strange sat up against a tree, taking notes in a small little notebook. He pauses for a moment, looking up at the sky through the tree's branches as he attempts to think of a useful way to phrase something before he promptly gets distracted by the sky itself.

Huh. That's weird.

Fortunately, there is someone else here he can bother about the sky's weirdness. "Look up at the sky," he says, as he attempts to nudge Ginko with his foot. "Don't you think it's a bit...odd?"

[dontpokethat]

Ginko cracks his eye open, frowning at Strange for a moment before looking upward.

"...Yeah, something's up with it, alright. No pun intended." He snorts. "I knew I didn't much like the look of it, but I wasn't sure why."

[kingsroads]

"I haven't seen any signs of weather since our arrival here also," Strange muses, with a little frown as he continues to look up at the sky. It's been a few days, you'd think someone would have commented about what lovely weather they were having or it would rain or something like that.

"The longer we stay in this place, the odder I find it."

[dontpokethat]

"It's like it's just always the same," Ginko agrees. He doesn't like the idea of thinking about it too much, but now that Strange has brought it up... well, now he can't not think about it.

"Same here, honestly. Just the stable weather, I could accept, but... there's something about it all."

He sighs and sits up, still staring at the sky as he digs around in his pocket for his cigarettes. "I don't know how so many people here have the energy to just... carry on like this."

[kingsroads]

"I could understand having the energy under different circumstances." After all, Strange was the sort of person to throw himself headfirst into solving a problem or exploring some new aspect of magic, or something else along those lines. Carrying on in a slightly dangerous manner when there's an endgoal is perfectly logical and not at all a bad thing.

"But to have all this energy and just do nothing with it? I don't understand that either."

Surely they'd get tired of partying after a while, right?

[dontpokethat]

Ginko makes a noise somewhere between a snort and a laugh as he works on getting his cigarette lit. "I guess technically they are doing something with it. But... yeah. You'd think they'd tire out at some point, one way or another."

Frankly, it's kind of comforting to know that he's not the only person here who's not comfortable with this, and therefore being a complete killjoy for no reason at all.

"I guess what really gets me is that, among the carnival workers... I know some of these people. They're not usually like this, or at least I doubt they would keep it up for this long."

[kingsroads]

"This place seems to go out of it's way to keep you going," Strange muses, as he looks over at Ginko. "If you just casually mention you'd like a drink, someone's there right by your side to offer you one."

He pauses for a moment, as if expecting someone to show up right then and there to force a drink on him. When it doesn't happen, Strange continues talking, a bit relieved.

"And there's no time for quiet either. I've ran into countless bars but I can't find a single library." Which is a bit of a shame because crazy party dimension bringing in people from different worlds? Hell yeah he'd spend some time reading those books to try and see what other people's magic is like.

day 61- cafe!

[vitrissimo]

Viktor definitely needed a few moments to relax. He wanted to reflect back on the crazy few days he's been having and the ever-changing scenery. It was a struggle to keep up, to be sure, and he missed the small pleasures in life, like sitting at home with his dog and thinking.

At least a cafe was similar to home. Still, he managed to get himself sidetracked yet again when he spotted the familiar face.

"Hello!" He beams, ecstatically waving as he heads over.

[dontpokethat]

Ginko takes another bite of his food before speaking up again, because he doesn't really have the tact to stop eating for more than a few seconds at a time. At least he swallows his mouthful before he goes back to talking.

"What d'you think of this place? Seems like there's a lot to do."

[vitrissimo]

"It's nice. It's almost like back home. I hope we stay awhile. It's been very stressful the past few weeks." Viktor says it while sighing, dropping his chin into the valley his hands make.

He is glad for the peace and quiet. He isn't used to working a job that isn't skating, he isn't used to being under the charge of someone who isn't a coach. It's taxing.

[dontpokethat]

"Glad to hear you're enjoying it. Too bad that settling in has been stressful for you, though. I hope the animals haven't given you too much trouble."

He means it; Ginko himself is pretty used to his work after all this time, but he knows very well how difficult some of the carnival's animals can be to handle, especially for someone who's relatively inexperienced with them.

64, in ur theater ruinin ur movies

[perverses]

Hey Ginko, guess what other activities tend to happen in dark movie theaters?

Dark and not particularly crowded movie theaters at that, since who in their right mind wants to watch a documentary in a place that's literally an endless party? Of course, it's not like Shima and the girl he's in there with have actually gotten anywhere serious with that yet, but the giggling, not-so-hushed laughter and inevitable creaking of the theater seats as they move around from about two rows ahead of him isn't even remotely as quiet as they think it is.

At best, it's still interrupting the soothing voice of the narrator, who is currently explaining something about mantis shrimp. Probably. It's kind of hard to tell with those two being as inconsiderate as they are.

gdi shima

[dontpokethat]

Ginko would love to be able to just ignore this. Like. It would be great to just go on with his life without acknowledging what's happening here. And part of him is tempted, because frankly he's not sure he's got the energy to deal with this shit.

But, uh. Apparently nosiness wins out in the end.

"Y'know, this is technically in public."

Not yelling, not approaching them, just. Loud enough to make sure they can hear him.

[perverses]

"Wha— there's someone actually in here?" Said like it never crossed Shima's mind that, yes, people might actually want to watch this thing. He pokes his head up over the back of his own seat, hair mussed and shirt a little disturbed, but that's all.

That is one really confused squint he gives Ginko. Green... deer guy. Green deer guy? He thinks? The hell?

"Are you for real?"

[dontpokethat]

Were these kids really just assuming they were alone in here without checking? Ginko sighs.

"Yes. I am."

[perverses]

Yes, yes they did assume that. They aren't here to be smart, Ginko!

"You can't be serious. It's showin' a documentary. Of all the things...!" But before Shima can go as far as to call Ginko a huge nerd for being, well, a huge nerd, the girl he's there with also pokes her head over the back of her own seat, draping her arms over it as she looks curiously at their unexpected interruption. This is entirely unfortunate because, after a moment of consideration, she perks up and turns to Shima.

"He's kind of cute, too! Ask him to join us up here!"

She doesn't sound like she's joking, not entirely, but too bad for her Shima sure as hell isn't going to do that! He whips around to return the look, only his is startled.

"Wh-what?! Are you nuts?! I'm not askin' anyone something like that!"

[dontpokethat]

Well yes, he is a huge nerd, what's your point.

Is this really happening. Ginko's expression is gradually progressing from a look of vague irritation to a full-on scowl.

"Don't do that, I'm not interested. Have you two even thought this through in any capacity?" Honestly, if they hadn't considered that a public movie theater might have other people in it, he can't very well assume that they've thought through anything else about what they seem to be attempting here.

[perverses]

Yes, this is really happening, much to the dismay of all save this one chick here who's going to make sad faces at Ginko for declining.

"See? Not interested. Maybe we should go... somewhere... else...?" Because if she's going to start propositioning weird green guys, maybe they shouldn't stay here! Only then Ginko has to keep talking, which gets the girl Shima's there with to pause, think, then laugh.

"What else is there to think about?" is seriously what she's going to ask.

Shima, on the other hand, well— actually, now that Ginko's said something, he's going to eye him skeptically.

"Yeah, like what...?"

Movie Theater

[detonarrator]

[Sophie wanders in, swaying, but maybe she's doing that on purpose. She definitely might be doing that on purpose, like dancing to music in her head or something y'know? That could totally be true.

She...does not even notice Ginko. She's holding a bottle of blueberry schnapps in one hand, (it's probably 2/3rds full), and a huge jug of ice water in the other. She spends a little longer than necessary putting them both down by a particularly cushy looking bean bag, then walks over to the projector tower and starts fiddling with it, mumbling to herself. Words like fuckin', where's the..., AHA, and no wait, can be heard on repeat. There's game consoles there too and after a decent amount of fiddling she manages to turn of the weird fish bullshit, and hook up a ps3, letting out a WHOOP! when she realizes what game is already in the slot. She grabs a controller and heads back towards her chosen spot.]

Aw helllll yes. As usual this place is god damn perfect.

[dontpokethat]

[...Okay. Well. He guesses he should have known better than to hope to be alone for more than a few minutes in this place.

Ginko sinks into his seat. This is fine.

He gives a quiet snort and speaks up, though he's still pretty quiet.]

Glad to hear you feel that way.

[detonarrator]

Awwwww, somebody's grumpy!

[Sophie says this as if she is talking to a dog who just got back from the vet. Her words aren't slurred, but there's a definite lilt and overall excess of expression to her voice that is not normally there. Turns out right now she's a goofy drunk.]

What happened buddy? G'head, let it all out.

[She starts up the game, keeping her eyes focused on the beautiful landscapes and dreamy fluid motions that Journey is known for. She's not great at comforting people, but she's practiced at having a friendly ear. She even gives advice! Mostly it's terrible, but it's often good for a laugh.]

[dontpokethat]

[Since he doesn't really know Sophie, Ginko can't say for sure that she's drunk, but, uh. He can sure suspect it. Not that he's got a lot of room to talk, but anyway.

On the other hand, he is pretty sure he has room to be annoyed at her attitude toward him, because frankly he doesn't really want to deal with this right now.

...On the other other hand, the fact that he is drunk makes talking sound like a less bad idea than it might otherwise.]

Is 'this place' a good enough answer for you?

[His gaze stays locked on the screen. What's on it might have changed, but he guesses this isn't bad either.]

[detonarrator]

[Sophie rolls her head back and to the side lazily to get a better look at Mr. Grumps. She has not stopped the previous action she was making with the controller, so her character is determinedly but very slowly marching up a sand dune and occasionally unsuccessfully sliding back down.

Mr. Grumps looks like the Jolly Green Giant. That is hilarious. She snorts and giggles a little bit, but does her best to stifle it, and follows it up with a Sincere and Concerned FrownTM. She's really trying to be genuine here, but it probably both looks and sounds pretty mocking.]

Do they not have a library with a quiet coffee shop slash bar just for wallflowers like you?

[Man, that's exactly the kind of thing Rebecca would've needed here. Maybe with beanbags and materials for pillow forts too. They coulda holed up together and she would've read poetry or philosophy or something out loud. Sophie would've made fun of it, but shut up whenever she was shooshed. Thinking about Rebbecca while drunk was...a road to a bad place real easy, and she quickly turns back to the screen to try and get her mind off that path. Her character does a shuffle, a jump, and then finally makes it over the dune.]

[dontpokethat]

[It really, really does. Ginko glares at her before looking back to the screen.]

Maybe. There are a couple quieter cafes, but that's not really the problem anyway.

...Have you seen any windows here?