I Think I Need A Little Change

[fragileandsoft]

Who: Greg and Anyone
Where: Around and about
When: In the week or so following the kidnappings
What:The feeling when you just can't find the silver lining and give up trying

While Steven's more than earned some time off of work recovering from his wound and the sudden rush of changes, Greg can't justify the same. As much as he'd like to stay with Steven all day there's still things that need fixing and lights that need arranging, and so long as Steven's in no actual danger Greg has to trust he can be left to his own devices. After all, Greg usually has to leave him to his own devices even when there is actual danger. That's how things have always been. It's no different.

No different, no different. Who cares about growing horns or fangs or the rest, it's happening to everyone. He has to get over it, deal with the differences, it gets better after all, and so many people just love living here, and what has he got to complain about anyway. Steven's fine, he's fine, everything's fine.

A. On the job


The work is just involved enough that Greg can focus in on it and block out the excess of frustration and distress plaguing his consciousness. The rest of the world fades to a blur while he works.

Still, sleep deprived, working on autopilot, and electrical wires rarely make a good combination. If he doesn't irritate people with an overbright spotlight shining in their eyes, he may draw ire via the occasional yelp as he shocks himself.

B. Comfort Eating

Greg's never been the most outgoing or energetic person around, but he's made an effort to appear open and friendly to his coworkers and peers in passing. Still, he's fairly certain he's of passing interest to anyone, and that suits him just fine right now. He moves quickly around the grounds, avoiding eye contact and speaking little. If he can't shake off this bad mood, he may as well avoid rubbing anyone the wrong way with his moping.

The longest he spends outside of work or his trailer is in the cafeteria, where he guzzles down coffee and whatever's served with the highest calorie count. When all else fails, he can stockpile the energy and comfort. It's not exactly the prettiest sight, but he does make the effort to eat by himself where no one has to watch him scarf it down. Doing great, feeling fantastic.

Comments

A

[mossbuds]

Lars had recently reported that one of the ride consoles was acting a little funny. Nothing too dangerous outright, but it seemed like some of the buttons were on their way to not working.

And he was just coming back, realizing he forgot his bomber jacket (much to his own irritation), and he sees Greg—who he's pretty sure is Steven's dad—working at the console he'd reported earlier that morning. That's a fuckin' surprise. Lars kind of stops and stares, his eyes wide, finding it utterly bizarre to see someone's dad here.

What would he do if one of his own parents ended up in this place? —Lars pauses, rolling his eyes thoughtfully. They'd probably love it, actually.

He jumps when he hears Greg zap himself, and immediately scurries over. "Whoa, hey! You alright?" Lars's hands loom near Greg's arm as he inspects, but all he really finds is that Greg looks haggard as hell. "Daaang, you look like shit. Maybe you should take a break before you lose your eyebrows."

B

[mirrortide]

Unfortunately for Greg, there is one blue gem who has decided that she might as well just look around. Get to know her surroundings and all that nonsense since she's apparently stuck here for stars know how long.

Whatever, she'll deal with it.

Anyway, it's on this whim of looking around at this place where she finds Greg. Though he only looks semi-familiar thanks to his changes. It means Lapis just sort of awkwardly stares at him as he shoves food into his mouth. She looks a little grossed out. Just a little.

Classy.

"What are you doing?" Eating, obviously. It's the quantities that are disturbing.

[fragileandsoft]

Greg falters, halfway through a bite of corndog, and blinks at her. Lapis? Lapis is here. At the carnival. With them.

"Uhh..." Belatedly he swallows his mouthful of food, and wipes a smear of mustard off the corner of his mouth. He misses the glob still on a tusk.

"Eating, just... you know... big day ahead, stocking up on... what are you doing here?" Even more than her being hired on, gems don't exactly have much reason to go to the cafeteria. Usually once he goes somewhere with food they leave him pretty well alone.

[mirrortide]

"I just... got here." If you think that gems have any sort of knowledge on what a cafeteria is, you're wrong. Also it doesn't matter what you tell her because now Lapis is convinced that's where humans go to just stuff their face holes full of huge quantities of food.

Ew.

"I was looking-" Okay, no she can't leave it unsaid. Lapis motions up to her face, where a tusk would be if she happened to be Greg. "You have something. Here."

[fragileandsoft]

"'M okay, I'm fine." Greg shakes out his hand and sucks on the shocked finger. "Job hazard. I'll take a breather once this is all taken care of." Or if he can find anything else to do, first. Something's always breaking around here, and it's as good an excuse as any to keep busy

He shoots a halfhearted smile at Lars. "Can't have things going off the rails here." There's a bewildered pause, however, as he looks over the teen. He's--he knows this kid, right? He's not just spacing out and imagining stuff?

"La... Lars? What're you...?" Greg shakes his head and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Criminy. Half of Beach City's gonna end up here."

[mossbuds]

Oh. Greg knows him. He's not sure they've ever actually been directly introduced, but he figures his parents have probably hung out with Greg or something before, doin' old people shit. He couldn't be too surprised, since it was such a small place...

"Apparently," Lars responds, leaning forward to bend over, picking up his bomber from the dirt next to the console. Lars shakes it, then brushes it off. "Knew Steven was here, but I can't say I was expecting to see his dad. I'm givin' it a week 'till I see Mayor Dewey runnin' around tryin' to govern this stupid circus as a flying cyclops or somethin'. Figures that stupid place would just follow me here."

[fragileandsoft]

"Something...?" In an exhaustion-fogged brain, he has to take a little bit to process her meaning. Hastily rubbing at the tusk, he... well, he gets most of it, anyway. "Jeez, these things. Sorry, I'm not used to... It's been a long few days."

He brushes a few crumbs off his shirt. Even as he scolds himself for chowing down after losing some weight, he just can't resist the comfort of deep fried snacks. Either way, it's got to make a pretty sorry impression on a gem. Better to distract away from that.

"You uh, you signed on, huh. Well... welcome, I guess." He couldn't sound enthusiastic about it if he tried. From what little he's learned of Lapis, he can hardly imagine her appreciating the circumstances much better than him.

[mirrortide]

It's okay, Greg. Lapis is trying to not look as grossed out as she feels. Especially when there's still mustard on his... face thing after he wipes most of it off. At the very least she does sympathize with him when he says it's been a long few days.

"Thanks. I think." She gives him an appraising look for a moment, before she decides that he looks like he probably wants to be here as much as she does. It helps. A little. "You... you're Greg, right?" Look, Gems like Lapis don't do well with sudden change, and last she checked you distinctly did not look like that.

There's an unspoken 'Are humans supposed to do that', but that can wait for the moment.

B

[pipers_son]

Right. Absolutely fantastic.

That is to say, Joker is pretty sure Greg is doing fantastic like he's doing fantastic, although the way Joker is run ragged is for a few different reasons than Greg's.

Still, at least his heavy schedule means that his times to eat are a bit unconventional and away from most other people's as well, and so he's exactly around at the same time Greg settle down to eat. The Stage Manager strides up to the table that Greg has sequestered himself at, one plate balanced on his hand. "Hey there, Greg. Mind much if someone comes ta sit with ya?"

[fragileandsoft]

"Yeah. I, uh..." One hand hovers by the little nub of a horn jutting from his temple, before he crosses his arms with a sigh. He has to wonder how much longer he'll be able to recognize himself.

Greg looks over Lapis warily. She must be fresh off the dimensional gate, if she doesn't know much about all this. "Uhh, how much did they tell you about... this stuff, before you signed on?" It would be completely absurd for them to just sign her up without telling... and yet, perfectly in line with how business goes around here.

[mirrortide]

"Peridot told me something about form changing magic here because of the Ring Master." And boy she does. She absolutely does not look pleased about that. "But she's been here for awhile. Have you been here for awhile too?" Someone please give her a date of when to expect... whatever changes it is that she'll end up getting.

... Though now she's wondering if it might be possible to keep her form as long as possible with shape shifting. Clearly Peridot and Greg are unable to, but she could probably keep herself looking like an actual Lapis Lazuli for awhile?

[fragileandsoft]

"A little over a month." He rolls a shoulder in a weary shrug. "Seems to hit everyone different. I grew the overbite in a couple weeks, but Steven... he just started his, now..." Of course, if she talked with Peridot, surely she was told about Steven.

He certainly isn't one to ask about anything shapeshifting. Amethyst is the expert, and she relishes in the strangeness. "It's... harmless." That's the nicest possible thing he can say about it.

[fragileandsoft]

It's not as though Greg dislikes company in general, but he still hesitates as Joker approaches. He doubts he'd make very pleasant company at this point, especially for someone as exhausted at Joker looks. But, if Joker's willing to look past the mouthful of fries, who's Greg to deny him?

He gestures across the table to a seat, covering his mouth while he tries to swallow his fried mouthful.

[mirrortide]

"Steven changed too? What does he look like now?" You know, so she can single him out when she does end up finding him. Lapis does perk up at the mention of Steven considerably, though. She knew he was here, but she hasn't seen him yet.

"And harmless or not, that doesn't mean I like it."

[fragileandsoft]

"I don't like it either."

The words come out a little more clipped than he meant. Greg hesitates, taking a breath before trying again. "But it's happening anyway. We have to live with that until we can go home."

That's all he can do, is love with it. He rubs his eyes. "Seems like Steven's got a tail now, and this miss stuff is growing him... maybe more. It changes every time I get back to him."

[mirrortide]

The clipped tone and words catches her offguard, and Lapis' expression changes to one considerably more sympathetic. "Sorry." She gently wraps her arms around herself. "I guess no one really likes being stuck somewhere against their will to begin with, and being forcibly changed into something you're not while having to do as someone else says..."

But she knows what she needs to now. Steven has a tail and... Moss? Growing on him. That word sounds familiar.

[fragileandsoft]

Greg deflates as she talks. If anyone has reason to be upset with this, it's Lapis. Just because he's annoyed doesn't mean he has it the worst.

"A lot of people seem to really enjoy it here. There's a lot of things to do, places to see..." He sighs. "But... I dunno. I still can't figure what to make of it."

[mirrortide]

Well, as far as she's concerned, all of them who are trapped here have it the worst. The fact that people apparently enjoy it here though, like Peridot, well, she can't wrap her head around that.

"Peridot seems to like it here too. I can't understand it." She's being held against her will, and apparently that's not uncommon. "I haven't even been here that long and I already just want to go home.

A - DID U KNO DOGS WILL ALSO CHASE LIGHTBEAMS

[otoko]

[He just needs to ask Greg something, really. It's not vital-but it's better to get things dealt with sooner as opposed to llllaaa....

...Gongenzaka pauses as he comes into the stage area he was told Greg was working in, a single jerking, wiggling light beam focused around in an unpredictable pattern along the ground. ...He shouldn't. He really shouldn't. Despite himself however his animal legs have already entered a sort of half crouch, tail swishing as his eyes track the light. He........has better things to do....]

HMMNN-!

[LATERLATERLATERHENEEDSTOCATCHTHELIGHTBEAM-

It may be a bit, it may not- but Greg's going to end up looking over the side of that spotlight to see an oversized bear-dog-man chasing a spotlight glare.]

A

[destiny_key]

Sora's the type to help anyone in need, whether they ask or not. Which is to say, he's got a slight case of Chronic Hero Syndrome.

So when he hears a yelping coming from one of the tents, he can't help but go check it out. That's his job here, isn't it? Helping people? That shouldn't extend to just the guests, but to everyone.

He doesn't know much about electrical wiring, but he's pretty sure you're not supposed to be shocking yourself with it. Still, it takes him a second of standing and watching before he speaks up.

"Hey, um... Are you okay?"

b

[wild_magic]

Susan is one of the most outgoing and energetic people around, and he normally will happily greet (and maybe chat the ear off of) any of the other carnival workers when he passes them. He was a bit more subdued and quiet for a couple of days after he was attacked, but now that he's had a chance to get over it he's back to his normal self.

...Which means that when he sees Greg sitting by himself in the cafeteria, he doesn't even think about it before heading his way with his own food. Greg seems pretty nice (even if Susan doesn't like being told by adults what he should or shouldn't do) and so he's going to at least see if he can cheer him up.

"Hi! Can I sit here so I don't have to sit by myself?" Not that he minds sitting by himself, or sitting somewhere else, or even going back to the trailer and eating with Lauren, or any other number of options.

[pipers_son]

“Thank ya kindly!” Against all odds, Joker apparently still has enough energy somewhere deep down inside him that there’s an exclamation mark audible in his words, and he flops down across Greg. It feels so good to give his poor aching feet a rest. Really, he’d get lost in that relief alone, but he’s a man on a mission.

Popping something meaty that’s also undeniably foreign, he grins at the spread of food that Greg has taken for himself. “Cooks never fail ta impress, huh?” he asks. “One of the better things about this place.”

B

[sunflowerfields]

Greg can run, but he can't hide from concern mom. Hinawa had heard the news- that one of the carnival's younger residents, who also happened to be Greg's son, had been injured while out in May Tricks, so it was no surprise to her that he was looking downright distraught. It's any parent's worst nightmare.

She comes by with the coffee pot, giving him a refill without being prompted. Then she sits down across the table from him. "I hope you've been able to get some rest. Coffee'll do the trick for a while, but it's got nothing on a good night's sleep."

B

[amusicaladventure]

A low whistle interrupted his solitude, followed by the splay of clawed fingers on the table as Ash leaned in to get a better look at him. "You look like hell, man," she said, brutally honest but sympathetic as well.

A

[dontpokethat]

Once upon a time, Ginko used to be surprised and almost impressed by the R.O.U.S's skill for getting past him and out of its enclosure. These days, its escape attempts are really more annoying than anything else, especially when it gets far enough to chew up the wiring in the stable before he can wrestle it back into its pen.

He sits aside, examining the gold-tinted scratches Barfy left on his arm as Greg works. That yelp draws his attention, though, and he stands up, already ready to go over and check. "Hey, you okay?"