lostcarnival | ⇨ GREYSOL

Entry tags:

⇨ GREYSOL

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 155 - Day 169
Where: Greysol
What: The carnival resumes its tour, this time heading to Greysol, a city tied deeply into the fabric of the multiverse. Here, everyone has an animal companion from birth that is the second half of their soul - and thanks to the Ringmaster, so do you. (Remember,

joysweeper is our guest event runner for this location, and location specific questions should go to them.)
Warnings: Individually marked!

THE CITY OF GREYSOL↴

The carnival arrives in a manicured park in the center of a big city that sprawls out along where the river reaches the ocean. It’s spring, early enough that nights are chilly, warm enough in the days that people and their souls savor the weather, and sometimes shelter together from the rain. Greysol was designed from the bottom up to accommodate the human-dæmon bond. Go out and see!

► THE SHAPE OF YOUR SOUL: The dæmon-forming spell kicks in at about four in the morning. Most characters will wake up with their souls in some small form, curled against them. Even if they were awake, they became dazed and unfocused while their souls were being drawn out of their bodies and have little memory of how it happened.

Until that evening every character's dæmon is able to change shapes, and children and some teens will continue to do so. Most will settle on their permanent forms by evening. Characters without dæmons will just look on, and the few who are thousand-pound bears have to handle being really big.

► IT’S GOOD TO SETTLE: Elaine Tavis Aracari, sixteen-year-old daughter of two actors and a moving pictures sensation herself, just ‘settled’ - her dæmon Tavis stopped changing shape - as a stunning blue peacock. Settling is a major coming of age milestone and celebrated as such in different ways all over the world. She and her family are throwing a massive party in the central park and inviting the public to join in! Enjoy easy access to free catering, live music and showings of moving pictures, and displays of mostly trivial magic. There are also form readers from across the country setting up booths, happy to accept a small fee to inspect your dæmon’s settled or most favored forms and tell you what they mean. Is there anything to these analyses? Eh, maybe, but they’re flattering and fun.

► WITCHING HOURS: Characters who are clearly witches for this event will often be assumed to be in town for a lover, and people, witches and not, may want to know who that is. Humans usually regard them with wary respect and interest. Real witches living with their human families or on business quickly suspect that something’s up, but without clear and present danger take a relaxed wait-and-see attitude. Wait for long enough and any possible decision will come around again, they believe.

There isn’t time to learn much witch magic, but witches, real and carnival-made, have an inherent power: the ability to fly using branches of “cloudpine”, an attractive soft-needled tree common in the park. Witches usually ride large branches as if they’re steeds but can use even short sprays, and you’ll probably see the few witches in the city coming to the park to do so. Why not try?

► BEAR PUN: Human-panserbjørn relations have historically been troubled, but have warmed in the past century. It’s the 65th anniversary of the breaking of the Siege of Bertin, a much-mythologized time when Spectres flooded Greysol and a company of panserbjørn arrived and directed efforts to get the survivors out of the city. A statue is being erected and many florid accounts of the story are being told. If you’re in a panserbjørn shape for the duration of the visit you will probably get thanked and celebrated by people trying to hide their nervousness of you. Expect someone to ask if your dæmon would be a human - it’s a common supposition.

► KERNER ISLAND: From the harbor you can see a wooded island. Although there are no rocks to speak of it sports a tall lighthouse, and nearly all boat traffic avoids it carefully. On a clear day someone with binoculars or a particularly sharp-eyed soul can see loads of trash, birds and various other animals that don’t seem local, and… children? Adults and settled teenagers will see tall vague shapes moving about too.

When asked about it the most important thing adults will tell other adults is don’t go there. They’ll hold their dæmons close and tell you that on that island are things that eat souls. They may also admit with mixed pride and shame that it’s been a source of wealth and innovation for the city. There’s a facility there that can open windows into other worlds, and the children who can reach it can cross through and bring things back. Many of the children are recruited by research and development teams on the lookout for items they can use, but there are also kids out to have adventures or who’ve run away. More on this later.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A - Soul Charge

[As it goes for practically everyone else, there isn’t much to remember past the haze of having one’s soul be pulled from their body and into a solid shape. Yugo woke up startled when he found himself being watched by a dog that he might’ve written off if not for the fact it had teal dragon eyes and golden crystal growing from their hide like natural armor.

Needless to say there was a bit of surprised shouting before Yugo got the hint of what exactly was going on.

Anyone sensitive to to the presence of card spirits might detect hot and furious jealousy already radiating out from his deck as said duelist stares with awe and mirth as his daemon flits through her preferred shapes, the number of which being short a handful.]

*PWING-FWOOSH*

[Until that happens. And that is the sound of familiar green and yellow power blasted into the air, but there’s no duel in progress for Clear Wing Synchro Dragon to be out and neither was it Yugo. Instead...]

...Oh I enjoy this. I will be enjoying this a lot.

You can breath fire too…?!?

[Aside from the fae changes that apparently go as deep as Yugo’s own soul, one on carnival grounds might see them in the form of an osprey, pitbull terrier, komodo dragon, or leopard seal- crystals and all.]

---
B - Synchro Cracker

[Wanna know what the best thing about parties is in Yugo’s opinion? Still the food. Tamatebako, or just “Tama” as the two compromised, is settled into the form of a somewhat undersized but still ferociously confident leopard seal. Legs were apparently overrated.

She copies his actions of observing all the sights and sounds around them, but sniffs at the various dishes at the buffet as well, curious at the very least. Though Tama’s since learned very quickly not to trust Yugo’s judgement on what makes for a pleasant taste experience.

Alternatively one would find these two with a form reader, mutually glowing from vague praises such as being unafraid of being bold, known for their ingenuity, and unphased by the stresses of life.]

---
C - Wildcard!

[Got something else in mind? Come at me!]

Edited 2017-09-08 02:01 (UTC)

[Yuya overhears that conversation with the form reader and makes a beeline over when he realizes it's Yugo. He doesn't know the differences between seals so, to him, this is just someone else with a big blubbery soul companion.

Koemi is on his shoulders like usual, and his hands are stuffed in his pockets.] That sounds about right. I guess these guys are really based on our personalities, huh?

[Which doesn't explain to Yuya why he's an otter, but he's also not questioning it. He's already attached regardless.]

Oh hey Yuya!

[Such flattery would of course keep Yugo and the embodiment of his soul in high spirits. But surely there's kernels of truth in the readings anyway.]

Would it be any other way? Because it is also the soul that guides one's heart.

[Wow. Deep.]

Uh, sure. [Whatever you say, Yugo's soul. Yuya was just taking this as more evidence that, same soul or not, their identities are completely different from each other. Neither Zarc nor Leo could erase that.] So why do you need someone else to tell you that?

Eh?

[Gosh, don't spoil the cheer, even if there's more mutual confusion between Yugo and the seal at Yuya's inquiry than anything.]

I was just seeing what this whole reading thing was about. Of course I don't need anyone to tell me who I am.

It's hard to resist indulging in a curiosity.

[Yugo's daemon sure talks fancy... Yuya rolls his shoulders before reaching for Koemi to adjust her. This was making his arms sore, but he didn't like her being underfoot.] I was just wondering. [He looks at Tama.] What name did you pick?

I am Tamatebako..! [She "grins" and by the card gods, look at those deadly-looking chompers.]

But that's also too long, so I've just been calling her Tama!

[Coincidentally the name has the same amount of letters as Gon's surname. So maybe that's just accentuating the minor jab Yugo made at the guy back in Portland.]

[Things Yuya is not likely to notice unless blatantly pointed out: that.

Still, he smiles back at Tama and her big teeth while Koemi leans forward.] Hi, I'm Koemi!

Nice to meet you, right? [He's only unsure because haven't they already met, being their souls...] You're the second seal I've seen, but Mr. Strange's looks a lot different.

[Still, given the sheer variance in wildlife everyone's daemons have been so far, he notices two fat seals.]

Edited 2017-09-08 05:05 (UTC)

[He's not as familiar with him as Yuya is.]

Mr. Strange?

[The leopard seal snorts with most likely amusement, but otherwise seems more preoccupied with mirroring the tiny otter's action- to lean close and sniff inquisitively. Perhaps investigating why such a close proximity brings out a pleasant... resonation between them. Something that Yugo certainly has been too oblivious to notice.

Maybe Tama is too curious, because soon enough if Koemi is leaning far enough, their noses bump semi-accidentally.]

He's one of the performers. [Yuya points to his eyes.] He's the one with mirrors for eyes.

[Don't ask Yuya how he sees like that. He looks down at Koemi's straining to see their noses bump together, which Koemi just seems to find amusing with the sounds she's making.

So she's made a friend. That's great--Yuya's going to hold her forward and try to gently dump her on top of Tama so his arms can have a moment to rest. Sure, it's his own fault for being so clingy to his soul, but who can blame him?]

Sounds painful.

[Says the one who-]

And you're no stranger to growing crystals as well as a tail.

[Not that it's a serious jab, judging from how Tama still gets pats on the head. There's no protest either as the new otter friend is set down on her blubbery form. Does this mean Yugo can pet Yuya's soul as well though? It's hard to really resist the cute of someone else's when they're sitting on top of your own, so he doesn't show much hesitation in trying exactly that.

~~Assuming he even knows the connotations of touching someone else's soul.~~]

[Yuya swings his arms a bit now that they're free.] I think it's from the carnival, because he's hu--

[Yuya stops when Yugo touches Koemi and he looks down at her immediately. They both feel it, but it doesn't make Yuya recoil. Actually, Yugo touching his soul feels... almost exactly the same as when he does it. There's still a sense of distance, but it doesn't register as much like it's someone else's hand that shouldn't be there.

Koemi is startled for a second, but then she quickly stretches out to be available for more pets. Hey, if she's going to get attention she's going to eat that up!]

Heheh...

[Yugo's careful about his claws since glamours are just so they don't look strange to the locals after all. He pauses briefly at the scar, but otherwise lets himself to be pleased over the situation. Once Yugo notices that Yuya stopped mid-sentence though, the petting stops all too soon.]

Oh was that... er... you okay?

You just touched my soul. [He puts a hand to his chest, fingers absently curling around his pendulum.] Our soul? My part of our soul. [What do they even call what they are, anyway.] It just--they said not to do that but...

[Koemi shoves her face up and under Yugo's hand.] But we're from the same soul, even if we changed.

... Can I touch Tama? [Look, let him just show Yugo what he means.]

But just because we came from one guy getting split doesn't mean we're not our own people, souls and all, or whatever since...

We're far from being much of a shared soul at this point.

[It was how the matter got partially explained by Yugo to Carly anyway. Tama and Koemi are clearly as similar and different as the animal shapes they settled into. Meanwhile since said otter surprisingly wants so much attention, the resumed petting turns into picking up the small thing so that the seal can scoot forward and nudge at Yuya's hand herself within a second of Yugo starting to say-]

Yeah, sure.

[Action first, questions later.]

I know but--[He trails of with a grumble as Koemi is scooped right up. He doesn't spend long annoyed at his daemon and difficulty with words, though, before Tama bumps against his hand. He looks down at her, thoughtfully, before moving to stroke the top of her head.]

... But I still kind of feel it. [There's a wistfulness that isn't Yuya's own in his voice--dusty and forgotten memories that sink deep in his mind and sometimes pull his heart in directions that feel as detached as Zarc himself did. He doesn't think he'll ever really remember what being Zarc was like, and that much he's all right with.

There's no sense of revulsion as he touches Tama, or as Yugo holds Koemi. And it's not quite elation, like when someone you trust holds your daemon. It almost feels like nothing but Yuya knows that's not it--it's comfortable. Like muscle memory, an action easily forgotten because it feels so natural.]

Uh, but I'd really like to keep my body to myself this time! Honestly, I'm just glad it doesn't hurt... [Not like when their dragons would call to each other and it burned in his chest.

His other hand rests against the pocket with his deck. He hasn't felt Odd-Eyes calling to Clear Wing since they came back, and he wonders if it's because they no longer have the same desire to merge, or... simply think it's futile without that last piece of Zarc.]

[At most, Yuya might sense that the synchro dragon seems unusually grumbly and jealous about something. Not that Yugo can't detect the same, but he's been tuning it out since it all started when Tama first appeared. Once Tama starts getting petted, then Yugo perks up in surprise at the sensation- or rather... lack of sensation?

It does make him gaze down at Koemi for a moment as the otter-shaped soul basks in the affection.]

Right...! Definitely no more of that crazy stuff to worry about...! Hah.

[Yuya also breaks out into a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of his head.] Yeah, that's a relief...

[Well, at least that the crazy Zarc stuff is over (god, he hopes when Zarc is free he won't still be able to control them. What if body doesn't matter?). His expression starts to sober up again as he remembers what he had originally been looking for Yugo for. The pets for Tama continue--it helps ground him as he figures out how to broach the topic gently.]

So, um... Yuzu's here by the way, but she's not going to know who you are? [That's a great way to start.]

(no subject)

bananaspeedrider - 2017-09-22 16:34 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

hippocarnival - 2017-09-22 16:45 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

bananaspeedrider - 2017-09-22 16:58 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

hippocarnival - 2017-09-22 17:02 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

bananaspeedrider - 2017-09-22 17:14 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

hippocarnival - 2017-09-22 17:19 (UTC) - Expand

"OHHH!!! Me too, me too!!"

ISKAI NO-!! [There is no stopping the pipe snake from bolting over to the at-present komodo dragon, Tiny round face 'grinning' wide. Right now, fire slips off her scales like water, and she beams eagerly.]

"It's cool right!! It's cool!!"

Iskai, we'll burn something..!!

Edited 2017-09-08 12:51 (UTC)

Very.

[How nice if concise of a thing for the somewhat undersized lizard to say as they peer down curiously at the tiny snake, genuinely intrigued. Though the completely changed state of Carly's body catches both it and Yugo's attention alike even more so.]

Nevermind this stuff about powers carrying over though, what happened to you?

Eh? Me? [She blinks, and it takes a moment before she realizes what he's talking about. Come to think, she hasn't really seen him since...well.

Hmm.] Oh...W-Well, I took some advice on dealing with Aslla Piscu, and... [Ulp.] ...I guess I took a lot of magic...

Dealing with him? So is he... gone for good or something?

I doubt that properly explains the liquid light show.

[Magic is weird. But whatever the reason, it makes Yugo glad they won't have to worry over Carly about that asshole bird.]

...Yeah.

...He's gone. [There's...a lot of heavy and deep breathing surrounding that, but better to think of happier things, she decides.] AH! W-Well, it was probably something that was going to be a minor change, but then all that magic happened and....eh...

...I...don't really know what happened actually...

[Even with how intently he listens, Yugo doesn't get any more of a clue than what Carly explains. So maybe derailing the topic is for the best... Seems to happen a lot with between these two.]

Magic's weird like that as usual. Still, no more crazy duel spirits around here to worry about now!

Y-Yeah, I gu-

H-HEY!! I told you already that Aslla wasn't just a duel spirit, didn't I?! They were a force of nature at home! An honest 'god'!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only