⇨ 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

[insidescoop]

I am!~ [She gives a small bow of sorts, which is a little difficult given the wings and canopy combined. She's doing her best though.] Something like that, [she explains.] Everyone has different changes, so you can't just guess of someone else! It's like how everyone is different, right?

[It certainly makes sense. In theory, at least.]

[phichitchu]

[It made perfect sense to Phichit, and he nodded.]

So I'll go through changes too? And there's no way to guess what they'll be?

[insidescoop]

Yeah~! Most of them are really small, but you've got it!

It really adds to the experience, right? And nothing really stays if you don't want it after you leave, apparently! [Apparently. She can't be totally sure, since, well. She's never left. She just keeps racking up another contract as an excuse to pal along a little bit longer.

And why not? It isn't as though she'll be late for anything, right?]

[phichitchu]

[Phichit seemed to be of a similar opinion, as he was touching his face with wonder.]

I wonder what will happen to me! I could get horns, or fangs, or scales?

[fortuneglass]

Or maybe all of them! Or even the scales from that tail? [She stares at said tail a moment, before shrugging.]

I don't really know how it works, going to locations like this...

[phichitchu]

So I might keep some of these scales? That would be a pretty cool momento! What changes do you have? Or it's that a rude question?

[fortuneglass]

Yeah!~ [And if her smile is any sign, it wasn't rude at all.] It's fine~ I don't have any pictures on me anyway, but...normally I'm a lot more bird-like! Though... [She looks over her wings.] ...I guess these look sort of the same still? My wings looked more like if someone drew them, so...

...Anyway, I have no idea if anything is going to stick when we leave here! So I might end up looking different again even then!

[phichitchu]

Ooooh... I bet you're beautiful. That sounds really cool!

What if you end up half bird, half fish? Like a flying fish!

[insidescoop]

AHH!! Y-You think so..!? [She blushes, lighting up the entire dome around her a brilliant orange.] I-I mean, I try not to think about that thing too much, but if you say so..~

[Ah, wait-]

...A flying fish... ....hmn...

..I wonder what would happen to my animal spell then... [She murmurs, blinking confusedly.]

[phichitchu]

[Phichit nods; he almost never says anything he doesn't mean, unless he's teasing. And this definitely isn't teasing. But he gets distracted from reassuring her by the last bit she says.]

Animal spell? As in, you can do magic??

[fortuneglass]

Exactly~ [She looks quite pleased about it.] I asked the Ring Master to give me a way to move around faster...and I think she misunderstood, because right after that she taught me how to turn into a bird..!

...It worked out though~ Though I don't know what'll happen if I try that here...

[phichitchu]

Maybe you'll become a kind of bird that can swim, like a duck? [He wonders aloud.] That is so cool, though!!

[insidescoop]

Mnnnnn but if that's the case...there's not really a surface here right? And those birds don't really swim underwater that much...

[phichitchu]

Huh, yeah. So then... maybe a magic bird? OR WAIT A PENGUIN!

[He's getting too into this.]

[insidescoop]

Mmm-maybe I should just try turning into it right now, so that we know for sure...

[phichitchu]

[Did he want to see some magic? HELL YES.]

Ooooh try it!!

[fortuneglass]

Okay..!

[Time to focus-it's a pretty easy spell, and she IS used to it...but something feels different. Instead of her usual flurry of feathers, it feels more like all of her is shrinking and scooting up at once, the jellyfish umbrella swooping up and then down in a swift motion.

...A tiny jellyfish.

She's a tiny jellyfish.] Heh!!! Seriously, this is what happens?!

[phichitchu]

[Phichit blinked, and it took him a moment to react.]

You shrunk! [He looked in awe.] So cute!

[insidescoop]

You think so? [The jellyfish hovers a little, bouncing in place as she floats. There is no face...no mouth, or anything like that. Really, it's a mystery as to how she can speak at all, not that she'll question it.

MAGIC.] Normally I become a hummingbird, but I guess since I'm a jellyfish now, I turned into...a Jellyfish?

[phichitchu]

A hummingbird sized jellyfish. [Phichit confirmed.] Do you think you can turn back?

[insidescoop]

It looks like it! [she replies, swimming a few circles before settling.] I think my hummingbird form is a little bigger actually, but I guess I'll just have to measure this one and then see later, when we leave!

Um, as for turning back...

[There is another, similar glow and stretch, this time accompanied by an odd pixel-like effect. And soon enough, there she is again-albeit this time with the dome covering over top of Phichit.] Ta-daaaa- AH!

Oh, whoops!

[phichitchu]

[Phichit is smushed up at first, but he manages to wrestle his way out with a sigh of relief.]

I hope I didn't hurt you.

[fortuneglass]

Oh-! [Fear not Phichit-there is quite a lot of room under there! ....She could probably have at least ten people under this thing, it's enormous.] It's alright! Just really surprising, that's all!!

I was going to ask if you were okay, actually...

[phichitchu]

I'm fine! [He assured her with a grin.]

[fortuneglass]

Phew!! That's good then... [Relieved sighs EVERYWHERE]